PRIME MINISTER

Bonuses

David Simpson: To ask the Prime Minister how many non-pensionable bonuses were awarded to members of his staff in each of the last three years; and at what total cost.

Tony Blair: For these purposes my office forms part of the Cabinet Office. I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office (Mr. McFadden) today.

Departmental Staff

David Simpson: To ask the Prime Minister how many of his staff did not achieve an acceptable mark in their annual report in each of the last three years; and what percentage this represented of the total number of staff in each case.

Tony Blair: For these purposes my office forms part of the Cabinet Office. I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office (Mr. McFadden) today.

Information Technology

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Prime Minister what the  (a) originally estimated,  (b) most recently estimated and  (c) outturn cost was in each of the five largest information technology contracts agreed with outside suppliers over the last five years.

Tony Blair: For these purposes my office forms part of the Cabinet Office. I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office (Mr. McFadden) today.

SCOTLAND

Wave Technology

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with Scottish Ministers on the use of wave technology for energy production in Scotland.

Douglas Alexander: Ministers and officials from the Scotland Office regularly discuss a wide range of matters with colleagues in the Scottish Executive.

Scottish/UK Parliaments (Relationship)

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to review the relationship between the Scottish and UK Parliaments.

Douglas Alexander: The relationship between the Scottish and UK Parliaments is defined in the Scotland Act 1998. However, the Government believe the relationship is strong and constructive.

Junior Football Clubs

James McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the tax regime as it affects Scottish junior football clubs.

David Cairns: I have regular discussions with my right hon. Friend the Chancellor on a range of issues. I am aware that my right hon. Friend the Paymaster General, as Minister responsible for HM Revenue and Customs, responded to this morning's Adjournment debate on this issue.

Renewable Energy

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on funding for renewable energy in Scotland.

David Cairns: I refer to the answer I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Edinburgh, West (John Barrett).

Unemployment

Anne Begg: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the figures for Scottish unemployment published during May.

Douglas Alexander: The Labour Market data published in May showed a slight rise in unemployment in Scotland. However, it remains the case that unemployment has been cut by nearly a third since 1997 and is lower than almost all other countries within the EU. Employment in Scotland remains close to record levels with over 200,000 more people in work today compared to 1997.

Businesses (Regulations)

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he next expects to meet representatives of the small business sector in Scotland to discuss the level of central Government regulation on businesses.

David Cairns: I regularly meet representatives from all business sectors in Scotland and am a member of the Small Business Consultative Group, chaired by the Scottish Executive.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Local Government Reorganisation

Alan Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she expects to publish proposals on local government reorganisation.

Ruth Kelly: Local government restructuring raises complex and difficult issues. I will set out details of the approach I will take in the forthcoming local government White Paper, which I can today tell the House I intend to publish shortly after the summer recess.

Local Enterprise Growth Initiative

Anne Snelgrove: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she expects to make announcements on the next round of the local enterprise growth initiative.

Phil Woolas: On 31 March it was announced that £60 million will be available for the second round of the local enterprise growth initiative (LEGI) from January 2007. Given that LEGI is delivered through the Local Area Agreement framework the timetable for round 2 has been more closely aligned with the Local Area Agreement timetable. The deadline for applications is now the 14 September. We expect to be announcing which local authorities have successfully applied for round 2 in December 2006.

Brighton and Hove Albion Football Club

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 11 May 2006,  Official Report, column 492W, on Brighton and Hove Albion, if she will list all other contacts with  (a) Brighton and Hove council and  (b) Brighton and Hove Albion Football Club since 25 October 2005 which she classifies as not relevant to the planning decision to which she refers.

Angela Smith: holding answer 18 May 2006
	The information requested is as follows.
	 (a) My right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister met the Leader and Chief Executive of Brighton and Hove council, as well as a number of other councillors, on 16 December 2005, for discussions about fulfilling Brighton's potential as a centre of economic success.
	 (b) My right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister met senior executives of Brighton and Hove Albion Football Club on 16 December 2005, when he attended the ground for the Club's game against Hull City.

Freedom of Information

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she expects to reply to the letter of 27 April from the hon. Member for Vale of York on information requested under the Freedom of Information Act regarding which  (a) companies,  (b) contracting bodies and  (c) local authorities have received monies in each of the last five years from the European regional development fund.

Angela Smith: I replied to the hon. Member on 5 June 2006.
	I have made available in the Library of the House a spreadsheet containing the information requested by the hon. Member.

Government Offices for the Regions

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the  (a) total budget and  (b) administrative costs were of each of the Government offices for the regions in each year since their creation; what the projected costs are for the next financial year; what Government grant has been allocated to each of the regional chambers in each year since their creation; and what estimate she has made of the (i) total budget and (ii) administration cost of regional chambers in 2005-06.

Yvette Cooper: The information requested is as follows.
	 (a) Programme budgets administered by the Government Offices are the responsibility of the Secretaries of State for the relevant sponsor Departments. Information is however contained in GO Annual Reports, as was referred to the hon. Member on 17 November 2004,  Official Report, column 1463W.
	 (b) The administrative running costs for each Government Office for the period since their creation are detailed in the table. The table includes the current expenditure recorded for the financial year just completed, 2005-06 and the initial budget allocation for 2006-07.
	The total level of Government grant made to regional assemblies since 2001 is tabled as follows.
	
		
			   2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			 North East 500,000 600,000 1,408,000 1,708,000 1,708,000 
			 North West 500,000 600,000 1,837,000 2,536,000 2,536,000 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 500,000 600,000 1,655,000 1,923,000 1,923,000 
			 West Midlands 500,000 600,000 1,671,000 2,071,000 2,071,000 
			 East Midlands 500,000 600,000 1,631,000 2,056,000 2,056,000 
			 East 500,000 600,000 1,874,000 2,112,000 2,112,000 
			 South East 500,000 600,000 2,186,000 3,280,000 3,280,000 
			 South West 500,000 600,000 1,613,000 2,101,000 2,101,000 
			 English regions network 1,000,000 200,000 200,000 200,000 200,000 
			  5,000,000 5,000,000 14,075,000 17,987,000 17,987,000 
		
	
	The grant supports the assemblies in the performance of their designated functions to scrutinise the work of the regional development agencies; fulfil their regional planning responsibilities; and for the development of their strategic regional role.
	The increase in funding from 2003-04 was granted in recognition of the statutory responsibilities that were placed on them as regional planning bodies by the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004.
	For details of 2006-07 central Government grant to the eight regional assemblies outside London, I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 18 April 2006,  Official Report, column 121W.
	The Government does not hold details of the administration costs of regional assemblies.
	
		
			  Government office administrative running costs 
			  £000 
			  GO  1995-96  1996-97  1997-98  1998-99  1999-2000  2000-01 
			 North East 8,842.76 8,687.15 8,616.75 8,618.84 8,312.05 8,197.33 
			 North West 9,983.71 9,839.09 9,442.59 13,690.13 13,048.58 13,651.03 
			 Merseyside 4,753.84 4,349.95 4,199.53 12.24 — — 
			 Total MW/M 14,737.55 14,189.04 13,642.12 13,702.37 13,048.58 13,651.03 
			
			 Yorks and Humber 9,060.51 8,765.04 8,475.01 8,683.92 8,888.68 9,357.48 
			 West Midlands 10,435.73 10,040.37 9,757.79 9,474.35 9,330.15 9,960.76 
			 East Midlands 7,116.85 6,616.67 6,436.24 6,754.39 6,951.28 7,335.77 
			 East 6,122.84 6,168.97 6,270.62 6,269.43 7,005.47 7,542.48 
			 South West 7,574.14 7,140.74 6,825.73 6,985.03 7,796.87 8,711.38 
			 South East 8,331.06 8,406.18 8,544.99 8,561.40 8,658.61 9,477.26 
			 London 11,106.26 14,106.47 13,458.82 13,238.12 13,715.79 13,860.98 
			
			 Total 83,327.70 84,120.63 82,028.07 82,287.85 83,707.48 88,094.47 
		
	
	
		
			  £000 
			  GO  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 North East 9,002.29 9,954.46 12,167.24 13,887.09 13,138.16 13,055.28 
			 North West 15,344.87 15,523.52 16,808.94 17,777.86 17,745.45 17,400.06 
			 Merseyside — — — — — — 
			 Total MW/M 15,344.87 15,523.52 16,808.94 17,777.86 17,745.45 17,400.06 
			
			 Yorks and  Humber 10,036.85 10,943.77 12,480.23 13,453.18 13,494.30 13,286.28 
			 West Midlands 10,295.51 10,662.85 13,381.47 15,286.08 14,497.15 14,972.21 
			 East Midlands 8,244.80 8,713.24 11,153.67 11,937.13 12,530.66 11,495.78 
			 East 8,631.95 9,355.85 12,841.51 15,075.61 13,296.12 12,672.06 
			 South West 10,666.90 11,860.77 13,960.23 14,724.92 14,823.08 14,766.46 
			 South East 10,326.44 10,874.74 14,099.03 14,372.51 14,624.51 14,094.74 
			 London 13,161.20 14,038.84 16,654.91 18,870.09 18,483.70 17,881.17 
			
			 Total 95,710.81 101,928.04 123,547.22 135,384.47 132,633.13 129,624.04 
			  Notes:  1. GO-North West and GO-Merseyside merged during 1998/1999.  2. Expenditure for 2005-06—as at April 2006 (before production of final accounts).  3. Figures for 2006-07 relate to initial GO budgets as at end-March 2006.

Housing

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will make it a priority to increase the supply of quality affordable housing.

Ruth Kelly: Yes. We have committed to provide 75,000 additional social rented homes between 2004-05 and 2007-08, and social housing will be a Government priority in the current comprehensive spending review.
	This is in the context of our ambition, as announced in the Government's response to the Barker review last December, to increase the overall supply of housing in England—market as well as affordable homes—to 200,000 per year over the next decade.

Mixed Communities Initiative

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the Mixed Communities Initiative pilot schemes.

Meg Munn: The Department for Communities and Local Government is committed to tackling poverty and social exclusion in the most deprived areas of the country. Successful mixed communities bring together the economic, social and physical aspects of renewal and development to create sustainable change in communities.
	The Department for Communities and Local Government is working with a number of demonstration projects around the country to test the mixed communities approach. The projects are all at early stages of development and we are working with them to evaluate progress and learn lessons. Where appropriate the approach will be rolled out more widely across other deprived areas.

Standards Board for England

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will estimate the cost of legal advice sought by the Standards Board for England in pursuit of its duties and responsibilities in each year since 2001; and if she will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: I have asked the chief executive of the Standards Board to write to you on this matter. I shall arrange for a copy of his reply to be placed in the Library of the House.

TREASURY

Departmental Pension Liability

Robert Wilson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the pension liability of his Department over the next 30 years.

Stephen Timms: A technical note by HM Treasury was placed in the Library of the House on 2 March 2006 following an oral statement in Parliament by the then Chief Secretary to the Treasury,  Official Report, columns 388-90. Pension liabilities are not estimated for individual Departments, they are estimated for individual pension schemes, as shown in the breakdown of liabilities per pension scheme given in table 1 of the technical note.

Income Growth

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his latest estimate is of the rate of growth of incomes for  (a) the top 1 per cent. of income earners,  (b) the top 10 per cent. of income earners,  (c) the bottom 10 per cent. of income earners and  (d) the bottom 20 per cent. of income earners (i) for each year from 1978-79 and (ii) for the period as a whole; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: Information on the top 1 per cent. of income earners is not available.
	To give a more detailed and informed view of the income distribution, DWP provides measures by both deciles and quintiles. The available information is in the tables.
	Median income and the rate of income growth for the bottom 10 per cent., the top 10 per cent., the bottom 20 per cent. and the top 20 per cent. of the Before Housing Costs (BHC) income distribution are presented in the following tables in 2004-05 prices from 1979 to 2004-05:
	
		
			   Bottom 10 per cent. (BHC)  Top 10 per cent. (BHC)  Bottom 20 per cent. (BHC)  Top 20 per cent. (BHC) 
			   Median Income  Annualised growth (Percentage)  Median Income  Annualised growth (Percentage)  Median Income  Annualised growth (Percentage)  Median Income  Annualised growth (Percentage) 
			 1979 113 n/a 460 n/a 129 n/a 388 n/a 
			 1981 111 -1 468 1 126 -1 399 1 
			 1987 118 1 623 5 134 1 504 4 
			 1988-89 116 -2 663 4 135 0 538 5 
			 1990-91 111 -2 727 5 133 -1 576 3 
			 1991-92 113 1 724 0 135 2 579 1 
			 1992-93 113 1 719 -1 137 2 578 0 
			 1993-95 119 4 730 1 142 3 581 0 
			 1994-96 124 4 734 1 147 3 588 1 
			 1995-97 126 2 746 2 149 1 598 2 
			  Source:  Family Expenditure Survey 
		
	
	
		
			   Bottom 10 per cent. (BHC)  Top 10 per cent. (BHC)  Bottom 20 per cent. (BHC)  Top 20 per cent. (BHC) 
			   Median Income  Annualised growth (Percentage)  Median Income  Annualised growth (Percentage)  Median Income  Annualised growth (Percentage)  Median Income  Annualised growth (Percentage) 
			 1994-95 121 n/a 723 n/a 144 n/a 574 n/a 
			 1995-96 121 1 725 0 146 2 578 1 
			 1996-97 125 3 745 3 148 1 599 4 
			 1997-98 123 -1 757 2 150 1 605 1 
			 1998-99 126 3 801 6 152 1 629 4 
			 1999-2000 128 2 807 1 157 3 638 1 
			 2000-01 130 1 836 4 162 3 662 4 
			 2001-02 139 7 877 5 172 6 690 4 
			 2002-03 138 -1 885 1 175 1 700 1 
			 2003-04 138 0 881 0 176 1 694 -1 
			 2004-05 141 2 897 2 179 2 702 1 
			  Source:  Family Resources Survey. 
		
	
	Median income and the rate of income growth for the bottom 10 per cent., the top 10 per cent., the bottom 20 per cent. and the top 20 per cent. of the After Housing Costs (AHC) income distribution are presented in the following tables in 2004-05 prices from 1979 to 2004-05:
	
		
			   Bottom 10 per cent. (AHC)  Top 10 per cent. (AHC)  Bottom 20 per cent. (AHC)  Top 20 per cent. (AHC) 
			   Median Income  Annualised growth (Percentage)  Median Income  Annualised growth (Percentage)  Median Income  Annualised growth (Percentage)  Median Income  Annualised growth (Percentage) 
			 1979 89 n/a 381 n/a 103 n/a 322 n/a 
			 1981 86 -2 394 2 99 -2 335 2 
			 1987 86 0 528 5 102 0 419 4 
			 1988-89 84 -2 559 4 103 1 453 5 
			 1990-91 77 -4 617 5 101 -1 483 3 
			 1991-92 74 -4 618 0 100 -1 486 1 
			 1992-93 73 -1 615 -1 100 0 490 1 
			 1993-95 78 5 630 2 103 3 496 1 
			 1994-96 82 6 639 1 104 1 502 1 
			 1995-97 81 -1 650 2 105 1 513 2 
			  Source:  Family Expenditure Survey. 
		
	
	
		
			   Bottom 10 per cent. (AHC)  Top 10 per cent. (AHC)  Bottom 20 per cent. (AHC)  Top 20 per cent. (AHC) 
			   Median Income  Annualised growth (Percentage)  Median Income  Annualised growth (Percentage)  Median Income  Annualised growth (Percentage)  Median Income  Annualised growth (Percentage) 
			 1994-95 69 n/a 615 n/a 99 n/a 488 n/a 
			 1995-96 76 10 620 1 104 4 491 1 
			 1996-97 79 3 642 3 104 0 514 5 
			 1997-98 77 -2 651 1 105 2 520 1 
			 1998-99 83 8 695 7 109 3 541 4 
			 1999-00 83 0 710 2 112 3 553 2 
			 2000-01 83 -1 731 3 119 5 581 5 
			 2001-02 92 11 777 6 127 7 603 4 
			 2002-03 91 -1 788 1 131 3 617 2 
			 2003-04 89 -2 798 1 130 -1 624 1 
			 2004-05 91 2 820 3 136 5 638 2 
			  Source:  Family Resources Survey 
		
	
	Income growth for the bottom 10 per cent, the top 10 per cent., the bottom 20 per cent. and the top 20 per cent. of the Before Housing Costs and After Housing Costs income distributions between 1979 and 1995-97 and 1994-95 and 2004-05:
	
		
			  Percentage 
			  1979 to 1995-97  Bottom 10 per cent.  Top 10 per cent.  Bottom 20 per cent.  Top 20 per cent. 
			 BHC 12 62 15 54 
			 AHC -9 70 2 59 
			  Source:  The Family Expenditure Survey (FES) 
		
	
	
		
			  Percentage 
			  1994-95 to 2004-05  Bottom 10 per cent.  Top 10 per cent.  Bottom 20 per cent.  Top 20 per cent. 
			 BHC 17 24 25 22 
			 AHC 32 33 37 31 
			  Notes to all tables: 1. The groupings Bottom 10 per cent., Top 10 per cent., Bottom 20 per cent. and Top 20 per cent. of the Before Housing Costs and After Housing Costs income distributions are consistent with DWP's National Statistics' series, Households Below Average Income (HBAI). It is presented in this manner to be consistent with HBAI. The Bottom 10 per cent. relates to individuals in households with the lowest 10 per cent. of equivalised household income.  2. Real income growth is represented by the percentage change in decile or quintile income medians that have been adjusted for inflation. Year on year growth estimates are volatile.  3. Comparisons for the bottom decile should be treated with particular caution. Decile medians for the bottom 10 per cent. are more volatile as they are affected to a greater extent by fluctuations in households reporting very low incomes.  4. The Family Expenditure Survey (FES) data covers selected years from 1979 until 1995-97 where information is available. The Family Resources Survey (FRS) data is for all financial years 1994-95 until 2004-05.  5. Comparisons of estimates between the two sources should be treated carefully: FES figures are for the United Kingdom, FRS figures are for Great Britain;  The reference period for FRS figures is single financial years. FES figures are single calendar years in 1979, 1981 and 1987, two combined calendar years from 1988-89 to1992-93 and two financial years combined from 1993-95 to 1995-97; The FRS was established by the then Department of Social Security in order to meet the Department's analytical demands; A review, available on the internet, into the differences in income values between the two surveys concluded that the differences in monetary value estimates across surveys were too large to justify publishing direct comparisons. Furthermore, large fluctuations in the difference between surveys for overlapping years mean that a spliced time series may be no more accurate than the unadjusted series. 6. Page 5 of the Child Poverty Progress Report showed growth by quintiles AHC and much higher growth for Q1 than Q5. This is borne out in this PQ. However, BHC progress was only slightly better for the bottom quintile than the top quintile.   Source:  The Family Resources Survey (FRS)

Innovative Financing for Development

John Battle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his written statement of 2 March 2006,  Official Report, column 29WS, on Innovative Financing for Development, how the money committed by the UK for HIV/AIDS over the next three years is planned to be spent.

Edward Balls: The UK Government will increase funding for AIDS related work in the developing world and spend at least £1.5 billion from 2005-06 to 2007-08.
	These resources will: (i) fund action that prioritises women, young people and vulnerable groups, and focuses on human rights; (ii) ensure that the UK spends at least £150 million on programmes to meet the needs of orphans and other children, particularly those in Africa, made vulnerable by HIV and AIDS; (iii) double UK funding for the Global Fund over the next three years; (iv) provide £36 million to UNAIDS over the next four years to support its global leadership; and (v) provide £80 million to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) over the next four years to support its HIV prevention, sexual and reproductive health work with women.
	The "Taking Action Strategy" (which can be found at the following address: www.dfid.gov.uk/Pubs/files/hivaidstakingaction.pdf) outlines the UK's approach to tackling HIV and AIDS in the developing world over this three-year period.

Innovative Financing for Development

John Battle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the written statement of 2 March 2006,  Official Report, column 29WS, on Innovative Financing for Development, what financial contribution the UK will make to the Drug Purchase Facility; and when such financial support will begin.

Edward Balls: The UK recognises the importance of long-term predictable finance on a significant scale to meet the challenge of the purchase of drugs for tackling HIV/AIDS and other diseases. As agreed at the Paris conference in March, the UK supports the International Drug Purchase Facility (IDPF) and is working with international partners on the details of the initiative.
	As the detailed technical structure of the IDPF is still under discussion, it is not yet possible for the UK to determine the size or timing of a contribution. However, the UK is fully committed to working closely with international partners in the coming months to develop a strong initiative that works effectively and complementarily with existing organisations and institutions in the global health field.

Sterling Stamp Duty

John Battle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 21 March 2006,  Official Report, columns 353-54W, on sterling stamp duty, if he will publish the Government's study into the technical implications of the proposal for a sterling stamp duty.

Edward Balls: In the context of achieving the millennium development goals, the Government have considered several ideas and proposals for raising development finance and has concluded that a sterling stamp duty could not be practically enforceable given the multiple avenues for avoidance, and the consequently heavy regulatory and implementation costs such a tax would require. There is no intention of going further than this. The UK Government remain fully committed to the millennium development goals, and have set a timetable to reach the target of 0.7 per cent. overseas development assistance-GNI by 2013.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Correspondence

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs why the letter of 2 May 2006 from the hon. Member for Walsall, North, regarding a constituent's suggestion for a generator, was not transferred to the Department of Trade and Industry.

Ian Pearson: holding answer 5 June 2006
	The letter in question has been transferred to and accepted by the Department of Trade and Industry.

Correspondence

Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the Minister for Animal Welfare expects to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire of 12 April.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 5 June 2006
	The Department has no record of having received this letter. If the hon. Member will write to me again, I will ensure his letter is answered promptly.

Environmental Liability Directive

Michael Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs why the consultation on the implementation of the Environmental Liability Directive has been delayed.

Ian Pearson: holding answer 5 June 2006
	The Government's intention is to hold two public consultations on the transposition of the Environmental Liability Directive, the first on policy options and the second on draft legislation. They are currently considering the basis for the first of these consultations.

Oil Storage

Colin Challen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether he plans to assess the costs and benefits of introducing mandatory fitness for purpose annual inspections of oil storage tanks.

Ian Pearson: The Environment Agency is responsible for maintaining and enforcing The Control of Pollution (Oil Storage) (England) Regulations 2001. The Agency takes a risk-based approach to enforcement, and does not consider that a further targeted programme of oil storage tank inspections would be a cost-effective way of dealing with oil pollution. The existing regulations apply minimum prescriptive standards to all premises storing oil in above ground fixed or mobile tanks or facilities.

Oil Storage

Colin Challen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the Environment Agency next plans to carry out a review of the effectiveness of the Control of Pollution (Oil Storage) (England) Regulations 2001; when this review is expected to report; and which stakeholders will be consulted in the review.

Ian Pearson: The final stage of the Control of Pollution (Oil Storage) (England) Regulations 2001 came into force on 1 September 2005. A full year of incident data is needed before any meaningful evaluation can be undertaken. However, the latest available data show four consecutive annual reductions in the number of oil pollution incidents since the regulations were introduced.

Patio Heaters

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent estimate he has made of the annual carbon dioxide emissions from patio heaters.

Ian Pearson: Only very limited information is currently available about the number of outdoor patio heaters in use in the UK.
	The Government's Market Transformation Programme (MTP) estimates that the number of liquid petroleum gas (LPG) patio heaters is around 630,000 in the domestic sector and between 3,000 and 12,500 in the hospitality sector (pubs, restaurants and hotels). This does not include electric outdoor heating appliances, however, which appear to be gaining market share. The MTP estimates are not derived from surveys or detailed research, and should not be interpreted as accurate data on energy consumption and carbon emissions.
	The Liquid Petroleum Gas Association has provided sales figures for LPG supplied in cylinders sized for outdoor heating appliances each year. From the Association's 2005 figures the MTP estimates that annual carbon dioxide emissions from patio heaters in the UK are around 22.2k tonnes.

Perfluorooctane Sulphonate

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what advice and guidance  (a) the Government's Advisory Committee on Hazardous Substances and  (b) the Environment Agency has issued on the use of perfluorooctane sulphonate;
	(2)  what guidance the Drinking Water Inspectorate have issued on the use of perfluorooctane sulphonate;
	(3)  what guidance his Department has issued on the use of perfluorooctane sulphonate.

Ian Pearson: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 25 May 2006,  Official Report, columns 1916-917W.

Transport Emissions

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will establish a study to evaluate the changes in carbon dioxide emissions from cars as a result of the closure of post offices, bank branches and independent retail shops in the South West region in the last five years.

Ian Pearson: holding answer 5 June 2006
	Defra has no plans to establish such a study. Emissions from these journey types are part of the estimate for road transport as a whole in the UK Greenhouse Gas Inventory, and in the UK projections of emissions.
	In considering the external impacts of any closures, it is important to consider a range of environmental, social and economic issues and changes in the transport infrastructure as a whole, not just changes in car use. The report on the validity of food miles as an indicator of sustainable development, published by Defra in July 2005, gives some useful data and an indication of some of the issues that need to be taken into account http://www.defra.gov.uk/news/latest/2005/food-0715.htm

TRANSPORT

Automatic Number Plate Recognition Cameras

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many automatic number plate recognition cameras are positioned for the purpose of capturing images on the parts of the road network managed by the Highways Agency.

Stephen Ladyman: The Highways Agency (HA) has responsibility for approximately 1,140 Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras on its network. The Highways Agency uses them for traffic information and monitoring
	Cameras used for enforcement purposes are the responsibility of the relevant enforcement agencies and so detailed information would have to be sort from them directly. The HA currently has eight permanent sites where SPECS safety cameras are deployed and these use ANPR technology. These are also operated on a number of roadwork sites but no central record is kept due to their temporary nature.
	Traffic Master also has ANPR cameras (blue cameras) on the trunk road network for providing current traffic information to their customers.

Automatic Number Plate Recognition Cameras

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the accuracy of the automatic number plate recognition translation software used by his Department.

Stephen Ladyman: Three of DfT's Agencies operate automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) systems: Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, Vehicle and Operator Services Agency, and Highways Agency.
	DVLA's ANPR cameras are type approved by the Home Office for the detection and prosecution of Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) offences. The type approval process involved rigorous testing of both the hardware and software. The ANPR systems also undergo an annual programme of testing and calibration in accordance with Home Office approved procedures to ensure continual accuracy.
	VOSA's ANPR cameras are used to identify non compliant commercial vehicles and operators for stopping or checking, and if necessary to initiate enforcement action. VOSA's ANPR system complies with the ACPO national minimum standards for approval and performance acceptance. During testing the system gave 98 per cent. recognition and identification, which is in line with ACPO guidelines.
	Highways Agency's ANPR cameras are used solely for live traffic information such as journey time information and incident warnings, and for monitoring scheme performance and success, such as changes in traffic patterns and delays. The National Traffic Control Centre (NTCC) only requires a match rate between adjacent cameras of about 10 per cent. to provide accurate traffic information, and the system meets this requirement.

Automatic Number Plate Recognition Cameras

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much has been spent on the  (a) purchase,  (b) installation and  (c) maintenance of automatic number plate recognition camera systems on roads managed by the Highways Agency in each of the last five years.

Stephen Ladyman: The Highways Agency (HA) has responsibility for approximately 1,140 Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras on its network. These cameras are purchased, installed and maintained through different methods.
	National Traffic Control Centre (NTCC) has around 1,033 of the ANPR cameras on the HA network provided by the operating company TiS. TiS is contracted to deliver a number of services to the NTCC and receives a monthly payment for service delivery. TiS are responsible for purchasing, installing and maintaining the equipment to support service delivery and the cost of providing that infrastructure is a matter for the operating company.
	The remaining 108 ANPR cameras are deployed on the motorway network in the West Midlands. 50 cameras were installed on the Active Traffic Management (ATM) section of the M42 during 2005-06 at a cost of £350,000. The other 58 cameras were purchased and installed in 2002-03 at a cost of £271,000 and upgraded in during 2004-05 and 2005-06 at a cost of £340,000 primarily for the purchase and installation of ancillary equipment such as fibre optic cables but not new cameras.
	Maintenance of cameras and other technology equipment is carried out under a specialised traffic technology maintenance contract for all such facilities in the West Midlands. The annual cost for maintaining the 108 ANPR cameras as part of the overall maintenance contract is estimated as £62,500.

British Transport Police

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to announce proposals for reforms to the British Transport Police; what the expected cost is of the reforms; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: holding answer 5 June 2006
	A review of the British Transport Police is currently being undertaken. Once a conclusion is reached a statement will be made to both Houses.

High Speed Rail Link (North-east)

Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had regarding the possibility of a high speed rail link from London to the North East.

Derek Twigg: Looking at the feasibility and affordability of a north-south high-speed link is a manifesto commitment. The Government have committed to take this forward as part of Sir Rod Eddington's study and in the development of a long term strategy for the railways.
	The Department has had a wide range of discussions with interested parties on this topic and will continue to do so as it progresses this work towards the publication of the rail strategy next summer.

Lime Street Station, Liverpool

Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has for the internal redevelopment of Lime Street Railway Station, Liverpool.

Derek Twigg: holding answer 5 June 2006
	The redevelopment of Lime Street station is a high priority in the Liverpool City Region Development Plan (LCDP). Network Rail, Liverpool Vision, Liverpool city council, the train operators and Merseytravel have developed proposals.
	Network Rail have advised me that they are liaising regularly with Merseytravel and have now agreed to jointly develop a list of planned works. Wider ranging improvements to the Station would require third party funding.

MOT Tests

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many minutes an average MOT test took in  (a) 2005,  (b) 2001,  (c) 1998 and  (d) the last period for which figures are available.

Stephen Ladyman: The Department for Transport calculated that an average MOT test for a car took  (a) 52.2 minutes in 2005-06;  (b) 48.6 minutes in 2001-02; and,  (c) 44 minutes in 1997-98.
	We have recently undertaken a test timing exercise to determine the time it takes to conduct an average MOT test now. The results of the exercise are currently being analysed and will be made public shortly.

Railways

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department is taking to encourage the continued manufacture of rail vehicles in the UK.

Derek Twigg: holding answer 25 May 2006
	It is the policy of the Government to encourage open competition for the supply of rail vehicles and decisions on where to manufacture such vehicles are ultimately taken by train manufacturers on the basis of cost and competitiveness. The Department for Transport has discussed the situation with train manufacturers and will seek to provide them with better information on future procurement timescales and to facilitate a more even spread of train orders, thus enabling longer term decisions to be made on the maintenance of UK manufacturing capability. It is worth noting that 70 per cent. of the trains procured between 1996 and 2005 were manufactured or assembled in the UK.

Railways

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many passengers have used Saltash Railway Station in each of the last five years.

Derek Twigg: Analysis based on ticket sales indicates that the number of journeys made to and from Saltash Railway Station each year since 2002 was as follows:
	
		
			  Year( 1)  Total operating journeys 
			 2002 34,663 
			 2003 28,668 
			 2004 29,479 
			 2005 37,446 
			 2006 34,695 
			 (1 )Rail reporting year—April to March

Road Maintenance

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what percentage of roads maintained by the Highways Agency are covered by automatic number plate recognition cameras.

Stephen Ladyman: The National Traffic Control Centre (NTCC), which operates the majority of automatic number plate recognition cameras for the Highways Agency, currently covers about 90 per cent. of the trunk road network. Over the next couple of years this is expected to increase to around 99 per cent.

DEFENCE

Atomic Weapons Establishment

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for changes in the number of scientists working on hydrodynamic testing at Aldermaston.

Des Browne: In the absence of the ability to undertake nuclear testing given that the UK has signed and ratified the Comprehensive Test Ban treaty, it is necessary to invest in hydrodynamic testing to provide assurance that the existing Trident warhead stockpile is reliable and safe. It is planned to increase the number of scientists working on hydrodynamics testing at AWE from 70 to 95 over the next three years.

Atomic Weapons Establishment

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the Atomic Weapons Establishment has conducted studies into the use of  (a) hydrodynamic test facilities at Aldermaston for developing new nuclear warheads,  (b) hydrodynamic testing to build a nuclear weapon without having to use underground testing of such a weapon and  (c) hydrodynamic test facilities at Aldermaston for developing a new warhead.

Des Browne: Hydrodynamics testing is essential in underwriting the safety and reliability of the existing stockpile without recourse to nuclear testing. There is no programme at Aldermaston to develop a new nuclear warhead.

Atomic Weapons Establishment

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the total capital cost of the new Hydrodynamics Research Facility being considered by the Atomic Weapons Establishment is expected to be.

Des Browne: A number of options are under consideration. Mature costings are not available.

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

Identity Crimes

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Solicitor-General what plans he has to improve co-operation between the Crown Prosecution Service and the police in order to bring more prosecutions for identity theft and identity fraud.

Mike O'Brien: There already is significant cooperation between the police and the Crown Prosecution Service on ID theft and fraud issues.
	The CPS is part of the ID fraud Steering Committee. The CPS was active in the setting up of the single point of contact scheme for identity crime issues within Government agencies and police forces in England and Wales. The scheme facilitates the gathering of evidence in order to bring the strongest cases before the courts.
	In addition the CPS also has experienced prosecutors to give advice to the police on most charging and related evidential issues 24 hours a day via CPS Direct and local charging centres.
	It is a matter for the police whether or not, or how, they will investigate an allegation that is referred to them. The CPS has no power to direct them regarding this. Following investigation, the police will decide whether to seek advice on charge, alternative disposals or to take no further action.
	If the police seek advice on charging the CPS will review the case in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors and decide whether the case ought to be prosecuted and the most appropriate charge.

Information Technology

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Solicitor-General how much was spent on information technology (IT) sourced from outside his Department in each of the last five years; who is responsible for such projects in his Department; and what IT  (a) expertise and  (b) qualifications they possess.

Mike O'Brien: I am answering this question on behalf of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), the Treasury Solicitors Department (TSol), the Revenue and Customs Prosecutions Office (RCPO), HMCPS Inspectorate and my own Department. Figures for the latter two Departments are included in those for the CPS and the SFO respectively. In some cases it has not been possible to differentiate between payments to external companies and internal project costs; and figures for 2005-06 are, in some instances, provisional as final year accounts are being settled. The figures are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  £ million 
			   CPS  SFO  TSol  RCPO 
			 2001-02 16.3 2.381 0.794 — 
			 2002-03 14.7 2.793 2.373 — 
			 2003-04 29 2.934 2.323 — 
			 2004-05 43 3.175 2.416 — 
			 2005-06 50.6 4.180 2.204 2.03 
		
	
	The Director of the CPS's Business Information Systems Directorate is the Department's Chief Information Office (CIO). The CIO has worked in the private sector in IT for about 15 years prior to joining the CPS and her experience is supplemented by an MBA.
	The Director of the CPS's Business Development Directorate is the Senior Responsible Officer for the COMPASS programme. The Information, Communications and Technology (ICT) Committee provides assurance to the CPS Board that ICT strategies and policies support delivery of the business strategy and PSA targets; provide value for money; and make the maximum contribution to joined-up IT across the CPS.
	The CPS Programme and Project Management Centre of Excellence has responsibility for portfolio oversight of all CPS business change programmes and projects and provides expert guidance on programme and project management.
	Within TSol the person responsible for IS projects in the IS Division is the Director Information Systems; she holds a Master of Science degree from City University in Business Systems Analysis and Design with many years experience both within and outside central Government.
	All SFO projects are led by a Senior Responsible Office, usually at Assistant Director level, and are reviewed regularly under OCG Gateway procedures at critical stages of their lifestyle. The persons within the SFO whose responsibility it is to monitor such projects have extensive IT experience—over 15 years—with the public and private sectors as well as a wide variety of IT related degrees and professional qualifications.
	RCPO has recently created a new post, Head of Information Services, and this was filled on 3 May 2006 initially for a six month period, by an IT Professional with 18 years experience in the IT industry and with technical, project management and service delivery expertise. He also has considerable experience in working with UK central Government. As well as receiving a considerable amount of technical and professional training from a previous employee, IBM, he has a Diploma in Business Studies.

Leased Land

David Amess: To ask the Solicitor-General what  (a) land and  (b) property his Department (i) leases and (ii) leased in (A) 1979, (B) 1983, (C) 1987, (D) 1992 and (E) 1997 in (1) the Southend West constituency, (2) Essex, (3) Hertfordshire and (4) the Metropolitan Police area of London.

Mike O'Brien: I am answering this question on behalf of the Crown Prosecution Service, the Serious Fraud Office, HMCPS Inspectorate, the Treasury Solicitors Department and my own office. The Revenue and Customs Prosecutions Office did not come into existence until April 2005 and is therefore not covered by the question.
	The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) holds no relevant records prior to 1996. Prior to that date property records were held by Property Holdings, and prior to 1990 such records were held by the Property Services Agency. The CPS holds no land in any of the geographical regions referred to. Nor did it hold any land in those geographical regions in 1997. At present, the CPS holds leases for the following premises by location:
	(1) Southend West constituency—none
	(2) Essex—County House, Chelmsford CM2 ORG
	(3) Hertfordshire—Queen's House, St Albans AL1 3HZ
	(4) Metropolitan Police area of London—Prospect West, Croydon CRO 2RD; King's House, Harrow HA1 1YH; Marlowe House, Sidcup DA15 7ES; The Cooperage, Southwark SE1 2NE; Solar House, Stratford El5 4LJ; Tolworth Tower, Surbiton KT6 7DS; Artillery Row, Victoria SW1P 1RZ
	In 1997, the property leases held by the CPS were:
	(1) Southend West constituency—none
	(2) Essex—County House, Chelmsford CM2 ORG
	(3) Hertfordshire—Queen's House, St Albans AL1 3HZ
	(4) Metropolitan Police area of London—Prospect West, Croydon CRO 2RD; King's House, Harrow HA1 1YH; The Cooperage, Southwark SE1 2NE; Solar House, Stratford El5 4LJ; Tolworth Tower, Surbiton KT6 7DS; Artillery Row, Victoria SW1P 1RZ; Portland House, Victoria SW1E 5BH; River Park House, Wood Green N22 4HQ
	The Treasury Solicitor's Department currently leases offices at One Kemble Street, London, WC2B 4TS which is in (4) the Metropolitan Police area. It previously had a freehold and long leasehold interest in its offices at Queen Anne's Chambers, 28 Broadway, London SW1H 9JS, which is in (4) the Metropolitan Police area which it occupied in all the relevant years. It has not held any leases in (1) the electoral constituency of Southend West, (2) Essex, or (3) Hertfordshire.
	The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) is based in Elm House, which falls within the Metropolitan Police District. The lease for Elm House started in June 1988 and expires in 2012.
	SFO have not held other leases for the years given.
	SFO has not held leases for property in Southend West, Essex or Hertfordshire.
	HMCPS Inspectorate is based at 26/28 Old Queen Street in the London Metropolitan area. The building is held on a 25 year lease until 2011.
	My own office is in leased accommodation at Buckingham Gate, the lease expiring in April 2007.

Ministerial Visits (Accommodation)

David Simpson: To ask the Solicitor-General what the total cost was of overnight accommodation for  (a) civil servants and  (b) special advisors in his Department staying overnight in (i) mainland Great Britain, (ii) Northern Ireland, (iii) the Republic of Ireland and (iv) other countries in each of the last three years.

Mike O'Brien: The Law Officers' Departments had no special advisers in the period in question.
	The total cost of overnight accommodation for civil servants in the years 2003-04 to 2005-06 is provided broken down, where possible, into the requested locations. In some instances the information could be provided only at disproportionate cost because details on location are not always held centrally (Crown Prosecution Service) or overnight accommodation costs cannot be separated from subsistence payments (SFO for 2003-04 and Treasury Solicitor's Department).
	
		
			  £ 
			  Department/Year  Great Britain  Northern Ireland  Republic of Ireland  Other Countries 
			  Crown Prosecution Service 
			 2003-04 1,559,863 
			 2004-05 1,367,174 
			 2005-06 1,392,248 
			   
			  Revenue and Customs Prosecutions Office( 1)  
			 2005-06 8,370 0 0 2,360 
			  
			  Serious Fraud Office 
			 2004-05 110,806 1,515 27,332  
			 2005-06 77,457 711 55,730  
			  
			  HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate 
			 2003-04 52,231 
			 2004-05 51,359 
			 2005-06 44,021 
			  
			  Attorney General's Office 
			 2003-04 611 922 0 1,967 
			 2004-05 358 187 0 1,148 
			 2005-06 582 487 0 1,533 
			 (1) RCPO was established on 18 April 2005.

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Departmental Annual Reports

David Simpson: To ask the Leader of the House how many staff in his Department did not achieve an acceptable mark in their annual report in each of the last three years; and what percentage this represented of the total number of staff in each case.

Jack Straw: The Privy Council Office provides administrative support to the Office of the Leader of the House of Commons. No staff in the Office of the Leader have failed to achieve an acceptable mark in their annual report over the last three years.
	The performance management policy of the Department is set up to help units deliver their objectives and the means of rating overall performance is designed to clearly identify performance which is unsatisfactory or unacceptable.

Public Transport

David Simpson: To ask the Leader of the House what incentives are available to encourage members of his staff to use public transport for travelling to and from work.

Jack Straw: The Privy Council Office provides administrative support to the Office of the Leader of the House of Commons. They offer interest-free loans for season tickets for public transport and also bicycle loans to staff.
	The majority of staff uses public transport for travelling to and from work.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Benefits

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department has spent in  (a) cash and  (b) real terms on each type of benefit paid to asylum seekers in (i) the Peterborough city council area and (ii) the Eastern region in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

James Plaskitt: Due to the very small numbers of claimants involved it is not possible to accurately calculate the expenditure information requested.
	From 3 April 2000 all new asylum seekers are excluded from social security benefits. Those asylum seekers who do require assistance are supported by the national asylum support service administered by the Home Office.

Benefits

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average amount claimed by an individual in  (a) incapacity benefit,  (b) housing benefit and  (c) income support (i) weekly and (ii) annually was in the last period for which figures are available.

James Plaskitt: The information is not available in the format requested.
	Annual average payments are not available; information from which to make such an estimate is not collected centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
	The information on average weekly payments is in the following table.
	
		
			  Average weekly amounts of incapacity benefit and severe disablement allowance, housing benefit and income support in Great Britain 
			   November 2005 (£) 
			 Income support 83.05 
			 Incapacity benefit and severe disablement allowance 82.25 
			 Housing benefit 64.20 
			  Notes:  1. Average weekly amounts are rounded to the nearest penny.  2. A smaller number of former MIG cases did not convert to pension credit on 6 October 2003. These cases have been excluded from the IS figures and are mainly cases where the claimant is aged under 60 and the partner over 60.  3. Incapacity benefit and severe disablement allowance figures exclude credits-only cases.  4. Housing benefit figures exclude any extended payment cases.   Source:  DWP Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study (WPLS) and Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Management Information System Quarterly 100 per cent. caseload stock-count taken in November 2005.

Benefits

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was spent on public advertising for reporting benefit fraud in each year since 1997.

James Plaskitt: The Department for Work and Pensions was formed on 8 June 2001 from parts of the former Department of Social Security, the former Department for Education and Employment, and the Employment Service. Information prior to 2001 is not held centrally and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	The Department runs public information campaigns designed to positively reinforce honest behaviour, to create a climate of intolerance to benefit fraud and to undermine its social acceptability. The advertising expenditure for these campaigns is in the following table.
	
		
			   Advertising spend (£000) 
			 2001-02 8,039 
			 2002-03 35 
			 2003-04 8,383 
			 2004-05 6,017 
			 2005-06 7,042 
			  Notes:  1. Figures are for the advertising spend on the 'targeting fraud' (2001 to 2002) and 'targeting benefit fraud' (2003 to 2006) campaigns.  3. All figures are exclusive of VAT.  4. The figures in these tables refer to media spend only, excluding production and other costs.  5. All figures have been rounded to the nearest thousand.

Benefits

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many  (a) disability living allowance,  (b) attendance allowance,  (c) carers' allowance and  (d) incapacity benefit claim forms his Department processes on average each day; and if he will make a statement.

Anne McGuire: The information is not available in the format requested. Information on the average number of claims cleared for each benefit in 2005-06 is in the table.
	
		
			  Average number of claims cleared each working day, 2005-06; Great Britain 
			 Disability living allowance 1,728 
			 Attendance allowance 1,652 
			 Carer's allowance 998 
			 Incapacity benefit 2,709 
			  Note:  There were 250.5 working days in 2005-06.   Source:  DWP management information.

Benefits

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he plans to bring forward incapacity benefit legislation; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: The Government are committed to introducing legislation in this session for the reform of incapacity benefits; establishing a benefits regime supporting a return to employment, while offering long-term support to those unable to work.

Benefits

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the  (a) lower and  (b) upper capital limits are for each income-related benefit.

James Plaskitt: For income support and income-based jobseeker's allowance the upper capital limit is £16,000; this applies to both single claimants and couples. Capital up to £6,000 is disregarded in full. A tariff income is applied to capital between £6,000.01 and £16,000, at the rate of £1.00 for each £250 or part thereof.
	The same rules apply to council tax benefit and housing benefit, with two exceptions. If a claimant or their partner is aged 60 or over and they are in residential care, capital up to £10,000 is disregarded in full; tariff income applies from £10,000.01 and £16,000. The upper capital limit does not apply to anyone in receipt of the guarantee-credit element of the pension credit.
	For pension credit there is no set limit to the amount of capital a person may have. Capital of £6,000 or less is disregarded in full; for those in care homes the full disregard applies to capital up to £10,000. For capital over these limits, a tariff income is applied at the rate of £1.00 for each £500 or part thereof.

Carers

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the number of carers who would be entitled to claim carers' allowance but are discouraged from doing so because they are caring for someone in receipt of the extra amount for severe disability paid with the pension credit.

Anne McGuire: The requested information is not available because the data sources do not provide information about the reasons why carers do not claim carer's allowance.

Child Poverty

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many children have been living in poverty in each parliamentary constituency in the North East in each year since 1997.

Jim Murphy: Specific information regarding low income for the North East and other regions of Great Britain is available in the latest publication of the "Households Below Average Income 1994-95 to 2004-05".
	The data source does not allow us to provide robust estimates below regional level, therefore estimates for numbers of children living in poverty in parliamentary constituencies in each year since 1997 are not available.
	The following table shows the number of children living in households with income below the threshold 60 per cent. of relative median in the North East since 1996-97. The threshold of 60 per cent. of median household income is the most commonly used in reporting trends in low income.
	
		
			  Number of children living in households with less than 60 per cent. of relative median household income, for the North East region, years 1994-95 to 2004-05 in Great Britain 
			   Number of children (in millions)( 1)  as three-year moving averages 
			   Before housing costs  After housing costs 
			 1994-95 to 1996-97 0.18 0.22 
			 1995-96 to 1996-98 0.18 0.22 
			 1996-97 to 1998-99 0.18 0.22 
			 1997-98 to 1999-2000 0.18 0.22 
			 1998-99 to 2000-01 0.18 0.22 
			 1999-2000 to 2001-02 0.15 0.19 
			 2000-01 to 2002-03 0.16 0.19 
			 2001-02 to 2003-04 0.15 0.17 
			 2002-03 to 2004-05 0.15 0.17 
			 (1) Figures are provided using a three-year moving averages, as single-year estimates do not provide a robust guide to year on year changes. Hence, figures are not consistent with previously published single-year estimates and there may be differences in changes over time.   Notes:  1. Table show numbers in millions and rounded to the nearest 10,000.  2. In this answer relative low income is determined for individuals as living in a household with income below 60 per cent. of the GB median.   Source:  Family Resources Survey.

Child Support

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list occasions on which a decision has been made under section 29 of the Child Support Act 1991 to opt not to collect maintenance; why the decision was taken in each case; and whether the decision was made in respect of all maintenance collection options allowed under the Act in each case.

James Plaskitt: holding answer 23 May 2006
	The administration of the Child Support Agency is the matter for the chief executive. He will write to the right hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Stephen Geraghty:
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the child support agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply for the chief executive.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will list occasions on which a decision has been made under section 29 of the Child Support Act 1991 to opt not to collect maintenance; why the decision was taken in each case; and whether the decision was made in respect of all maintenance collection options allowed under the Act in each case.
	Section 29 of the Child Support Act 1991 empowers the Secretary of State to collect child support maintenance. However, the wording of Section 29 enables the Secretary of State to decide, in a very limited range of circumstances, not to collect maintenance. Each case will be treated individually after careful investigation on its own merits and examples include:
	Death of a non-resident parent;
	Where a parent with care felt that to continue to collect would put her or her children at risk; and
	Where an interim maintenance assessment cannot be converted to a full maintenance assessment the Agency will not pursue the punitive element of the debt.
	As each case is individually considered it would require disproportionate effort to detail every decision.

Child Support

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he expects the review of the Child Support Agency to report.

James Plaskitt: holding answer 25 May 2006
	Sir David Henshaw is currently undertaking his work on the redesign of child support policy and delivery and has been asked to report to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions before the summer recess.

Correspondence

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he expects to reply to the letter of 27 April from the hon. Member for Vale of York on information requested under the Freedom of Information Act regarding how much  (a) companies,  (b) contracting bodies and  (c) local authorities received in each of the last five years from the European Social Fund.

Anne McGuire: I replied to the hon. Member on 25 May 2006, fifteen working days after the request was received and within the twenty day deadline.

Debt Collectors

Julie Kirkbride: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether  (a) his Department and  (b) its (i) executive agencies and (ii) non-departmental bodies use the services of private debt collectors.

James Plaskitt: The Department has contracts with four private sector companies to provide debt collection services.
	Additionally, since the inception of the Child Support Agency in April 1993 it has used the services of Bailiffs to enforce the collection of child support debt.

Departmental Publications

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what is his Department's policy for reviewing instructional leaflets it has issued.

Anne McGuire: The Department's policy is that its leaflets should be reviewed every six months to ensure accuracy of content.

Departmental Staff

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many staff are employed directly by his Department to process  (a) disability living allowance,  (b) attendance allowance,  (c) carers' allowance and  (d) incapacity benefit claim forms, broken down by location; what the average salary is at each grade; and if he will make a statement.

Anne McGuire: Disability living allowance and attendance allowance are processed at the same sites; no further breakdown of staff handling each type of allowance is available. Average salaries are not available; salary bandwidths have been given.
	The most recent available information is in the tables.
	
		
			  Number of staff (full-time equivalent) involved in processing disability living allowance and attendance allowance, by location; April 2006 
			 Disability Contact and Processing Unit 1,841.85 
			 Benefit Enquiry Line / Helpline 471.80 
			 Bootle Disability Benefits Centre 134.30 
			 Bristol Disability Benefits Centre 148.00 
			 Edinburgh Disability Benefits Centre 100.84 
			 Glasgow Disability Benefits Centre 116.12 
			 Leeds Disability Benefits Centre 172.04 
			 Manchester Disability Benefits Centre 131.93 
			 Midlands Disability Benefits Centre 353.94 
			 Newcastle Disability Benefits Centre 116.42 
			 Wales Disability Benefits Centre 124.57 
			 Wembley Disability Benefits Centre 314.17 
			  Note:  Figures include all administrative grade staff directly involved in processing disability living allowance and attendance allowance claims.   Source:  Disability and Carers Service management information 
		
	
	
		
			  Number of staff (full-time equivalent) involved in processing carer's allowance; April 2006 
			 Carer's Allowance Unit 843.87 
			  Note:  Figures include all administrative grade staff directly involved in processing carer's allowance claims.   Source:  Disability and Carers Service management information 
		
	
	
		
			  Number of staff (full-time equivalent) involved in processing incapacity benefit claims in each Jobcentre Plus region; March 2006 
			 East Midlands 277.88 
			 East of England 287.88 
			 London 449.43 
			 North East 267.21 
			 North West 683.51 
			 Scotland 509.72 
			 South East 353.61 
			 South West 294.16 
			 Wales 369.01 
			 West Midlands 438.49 
			 Yorkshire and The Humber 395.80 
			  Notes:  1. London includes processing sites outside the London area processing London claims.  2. Figures include all administrative staff involved in processing incapacity benefit claims.   Source:  Jobcentre Plus management information. 
		
	
	
		
			  DWP administrative grade pay bands 
			  £ 
			   Minimum  Maximum 
			 Grade AA/Band A 12,340 17,380 
			 Grade AO/Band B 13,990 20,890 
			 Grade EO/Band C 18,160 27,300 
			  Note:  The figures given are the highest and lowest applicable to each band. Higher minimums and lower maximums apply in certain particular geographical areas.

Job Vacancies

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many job vacancies there were on average on the register at job centres in Coventry South constituency in each year since 2001; and if he will make a statement.

Anne McGuire: holding answer 22 May 2006
	Information on Jobcentre Plus vacancy data at parliamentary constituency level is only available from April 2004 and is set out in the following table.
	
		
			  Coventry South parliamentary constituency 
			  Period  Average number of 'live' unfilled vacancies on any given day 
			 2004 2,790 
			 2005 2,280 
			 2006 2,630 
			  Source:  Jobcentre Plus Labour Market System

Pension Credit

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many recipients of pension credit claimed the extra amount for carers in the last financial year for which figures are available; and how many pensioner households received double the extra amount because both partners were eligible to claim.

James Purnell: The information requested is in the following table:
	
		
			  Number of pension credit beneficiaries with prescribed additional amounts for carers in payment 
			   November 2005 
			 All pension credit beneficiaries of the extra amount for carers 182,300 
			 One beneficiary with a prescribed additional amount 164,800 
			 Both beneficiaries with a prescribed additional amount 17,500 
			  Notes:  1. Figures are based on a 5 per cent. sample, and are therefore subject to a degree of sampling variation.  2. Caseloads are rounded to the nearest hundred.  3. Totals may not sum due to rounding.  4. Beneficiaries includes both claimants and their partners.   Source:  The Department's Quarterly Statistical Enquiry (QSE) five per cent. administrative data.

Pension Credit

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many recipients of pension credit were also in receipt of  (a) the lower rate and  (b) the higher rate of extra amounts for severe disability in the last financial year for which figures are available.

James Purnell: The information requested is in the following table:
	
		
			  Number of pension credit recipients with the prescribed extra amount for severe disability 
			   November 2005 
			 All recipients with an extra amount for severe disability 631,970 
			 Recipients with the extra amount for severe disability—higher rate 46,360 
			 Recipients with the extra amount for severe disability—lower rate 585,610 
			  Notes:  1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.  2. Recipients are those people who claim pension credit either on behalf of themselves only or on behalf of a household. This number is equal to the number of households in receipt of pension credit.   Source:  Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study.

Pension Credit

Paul Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many residents in the Medway towns local authority area received pension credit in the most recent period for which figures were available, broken down by ward; and what the average payment was.

James Purnell: The information is provided in the following table:
	
		
			  Pension credit individual beneficiaries and the average weekly amount of benefit for wards in Medway, November 2005 
			  Ward name  Individual beneficiaries  Average weekly benefit (£) 
			 Chatham Central 885 47.40 
			 Cuxton and Halling 210 39.46 
			 Gillingham North 745 42.60 
			 Gillingham South 650 43.81 
			 Hempstead and Wigmore 175 38.46 
			 Lordswood and Capstone 375 41.71 
			 Luton and Wayfield 835 43.59 
			 Peninsula 615 41.33 
			 Princes Park 295 44.41 
			 Rainham Central 425 36.76 
			 Rainham North 345 36.15 
			 Rainham South 425 38.72 
			 River 340 46.36 
			 Rochester East 600 39.52 
			 Rochester South and Horsted 575 37.20 
			 Rochester West 460 36.85 
			 Strood North 530 42.55 
			 Strood Rural 505 38.68 
			 Strood South 775 39.52 
			 Twydall 940 37.57 
			 Walderslade 460 37.31 
			 Watling 290 39.71 
			 Medway total 11,390 41.02 
			  Notes:  1. The numbers of individual beneficiaries are rounded to a multiple of five.  2. Average amounts are rounded to the nearest penny.  3. Totals do not always sum to area total due to rounding.  4. The number of individual beneficiaries includes both claimants and their partners.  5. Wards are based on 2003 ward boundaries.   Source:  Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100 per cent data.

Pension Credit Helpline

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many telephone calls were made to the pension credit helpline in  (a) March and  (b) April; how many of these calls (i) were handled, (ii) received an engaged tone and (iii) were abandoned; and if he will make a statement.

James Purnell: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 25 May 2006,  Official Report, column 2036W.

Pensions

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to review the uprating arrangements for UK pensioners who have moved overseas in the context of the publication of the White Paper on Pensions.

James Purnell: We uprate the State Pension in countries with which the UK has a reciprocal agreement or a legal obligation to do so. We have no plans to change the current arrangements.

Portland PR

Elliot Morley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what meetings officials in his Department have had with representatives of the public relations company Portland PR; what contracts Portland PR has with his Department and agencies for which he has responsibility; and what the nature of the contract is in each case.

Anne McGuire: The Department does not maintain a central list of such meetings. Civil servants meet many people as part of the process of policy development and business delivery. All such meetings are conducted in accordance with the requirements of the civil service code and guidance for civil servants on contacts with lobbyists and people outside Government.
	DWP holds no contract (either currently or historically) with Portland PR.

Post Office Card Account

Don Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people held a Post Office card account on 1 April 2006  (a) 2004,  (b) 2005 and  (c) 2006.

James Plaskitt: Information is not available in the format requested.
	There were 1,041,324 Post Office card accounts in use mid April 2004, 4,255,512 at mid April 2005 and 4,253,566 at mid April 2006.
	In addition to accounts used by my Department these figures include Post Office card accounts used by the Northern Ireland Social Security Agency, the Veterans Agency (Ministry of Defence) and Her Majesty's Revenue & Customs.

Savings Credit

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people were  (a) eligible for and  (b) receiving Savings Credit in (i) 2004-05 and (ii) 2005-06; how many he expects (A) to be eligible for and (B) to receive the credit in 2006-07; and if he will make a statement.

James Purnell: holding answer 16 May 2006
	The information requested is not available in the format requested. Information that is available is in Table 1 and contains estimates of eligibility in 2004-05 and projected estimates of eligibility in 2005-06 and 2006-07.
	
		
			  Table 1 
			   Number eligible (million) 
			 2004-05 2.7-3.1 
			 2005-06 2.9-3.3 
			 2006-07 3.0-3.4 
			  Notes:  1. Estimates of the numbers eligible are given as ranges in order to account for possible biases inherent in estimates from data that is less than perfect. They also take account of the effects of sampling variation.  2. The figures given relate to those who may be eligible for the Savings Credit, with or without the Guarantee element.  3. Estimates cover all those aged 60 and over in the private household population of Great Britain.  4. For the purposes of this analysis, the unit of analysis is the benefit unit. This is either a single person aged at least 60 years old or, if a couple, both will be termed pensioners if one is aged at least 60 years old. This is consistent with both the definition used in "Income Related Benefits Estimates of Take-up" publications, and with the fact any individual aged 60 or over is entitled to pension credit.  5. The data source for eligibility estimates is the Family Resources Survey. Estimates of eligibility for 2005-06 and 2006-07 are based on Family Resources Survey data for 2003-04 and 2004-05, with incomes and benefits projected forward into the future in order to estimate the eligibility for each pensioner household on the survey. They are calibrated to the 2004-05 National Statistics estimates of non-eligibility to pension credit, which adjust 2004-05 Family Resources Survey data to take account of possible biases in reporting.  6. All figures have been rounded to the nearest hundred thousand.  7. Projections of eligibility may be adjusted following publication of future editions of the National Statistics take-up estimates. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Number of pensioners receiving the Savings Credit in 2004-05 
			   Number receiving (million) 
			 2004-05 1.8 
			  Notes:  1. Figures relate to those in receipt of the Savings Credit, with or without the Guarantee Credit.  2. The numbers receiving in 2004-05 are derived from the Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study, and relate to the average number of recipients over the financial year. They are consistent with the figures used to calculate National Statistics estimates of take-up, and so exclude cases in non-private households, and take account of any backdated awards that were paid in respect of 2004-05. Estimates presented here will therefore differ from other published sources.  3. The latest estimates of the take-up of Pension Credit can be found in the DWP report entitled "Pension Credit Estimates of Take-Up in 2004/2005". Copies of the publication are available in the Library.  4. Projected take-up figures are indicative only and not comparable to the published Take-Up figures for 2004/2005, which include backdated awards of Savings Credit. Forecasts of future recipients are based on extrapolation of administrative data from the Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study.  5. All figures have been rounded to the nearest hundred thousand. 
		
	
	Current forecasts suggest that around 1.8 million pensioners may be in receipt of the Savings Credit in 2005-06 and around 1.9 million in 2006-07. However, these projections are indicative only and do not include adjustments for backdated awards so are not directly comparable with the take-up estimates for 2004-05.

Union Agreements

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans his Department has to renew its no redundancies agreement with the public and commercial services union beyond 30 June 2006.

Anne McGuire: holding answer 22 May 2006
	A 'Seeking to avoid compulsory redundancy' agreement was reached between the Department and all three of its unions, including the public and commercial services union in November 2004.
	This agreement, which incorporates best practice across Government Departments, states that the Department 'will take all practical and reasonable steps to avoid or, if that is not possible, minimise compulsory redundancies', staff will only be declared redundant after full and meaningful consultation with trade unions has taken place, with a view to reaching agreement about ways to avoid, or minimise redundancy.
	The agreement has no time limit and is still in place. It can be terminated by either DWP management or the unions by giving six months notice to the other party. To date no notice of termination has been given by either side.
	The Department will continue to work with its trade unions to avoid compulsory redundancy wherever possible.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Casinos

Malcolm Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what reserve powers she has under the Gambling Act 2005 to remove the licences of casinos in the event of problem gambling increasing in the surrounding area.

Richard Caborn: The Gambling Commission will have the power to revoke operating licences under sections 119 and 120 of the Gambling Act; and licensing authorities will have the power to revoke premises licences under section 202 of the Act. In either case, the decision whether to take any action will be predicated on the manner in which the casino is being operated, rather than the effects of the operation on the local community. An increase in problem gambling in a particular area could be evidence that a casino?or indeed other gambling establishment in the area?is not operating as it should, and that investigation or action may be needed.
	In addition, if problem gambling did appear to be an issue in a particular area, or around casinos generally, conditions could be imposed to address the issue:
	on individual licences by the Commission and licensing authorities, and
	on licences of a particular class or type by the Commission or the Secretary of State.

Digital Television

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on access to the digital signal in North Yorkshire.

Shaun Woodward: We do not have a figure for digital terrestrial coverage in North Yorkshire. Currently, digital terrestrial television is available to 98.5 per cent. of households in the Vale of York and the vast majority of households can receive digital TV services via digital satellite, terrestrial or cable.
	North Yorkshire straddles two broadcasting regions: Yorkshire and Tyne Tees. 67 per cent. of households in the Yorkshire TV region and 77 per cent. of households in Tyne Tees have already chosen to take up digital TV.
	After switchover, which takes place in the Yorkshire TV region in 2011 and Tyne Tees in 2012, UK digital terrestrial television coverage will match the current analogue coverage of 98.5 per cent.
	And, already 70 per cent. of households in Border have taken up digital TV.

Film Industry

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on Government support for the UK film industry.

Shaun Woodward: In 2005-06, DCMS provided grant-in-aid funding of £24.11 million to the UK Film Council, its key strategic adviser on film policy. By the end of January, the Council had also received £28.1 million of lottery funding this financial year. In addition, the 2006 Finance Bill introduces a new tax relief for culturally British films, offering films costing up to £20 million a payable tax credit worth 20 per cent. of total qualifying expenditure. They will also be able to claim an enhanced deduction equal to 100 per cent. of qualifying expenditure. Other films will be entitled to a payable tax credit worth 16 per cent. of qualifying expenditure and an enhanced deduction worth 80 per cent. of UK qualifying film production expenditure.

Football Foundation

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many people are employed by the Football Foundation; and what the budget of the foundation is.

Richard Caborn: As at 31 May 2006, the Football Foundation has a staff of 42 employees and an annual budget of £45 million.

Football Foundation

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many grants were agreed by the Football Foundation to ethnic minority football clubs in the 2005-06 financial year.

Richard Caborn: A key objective of all Football Foundation grants is the promotion of the game to under represented groups in football, in particular ethnic minority communities.
	In the 2005-06 financial year 455 projects worth £46.97 million were supported. Of this, over £1.57 million was directly invested in projects with a primary aim of ethnic minority inclusion.
	In addition the foundation also administered funds raised by the Stand Up Speak Up, anti-racism campaign, which resulted in 104 grants, totalling £885,000, being made towards projects designed to counter racism.

Football Foundation

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether she has held any meetings with the chief executive of the Football Foundation since his appointment.

Richard Caborn: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has not held any meetings with the chief executive of the Football Foundation. However, I met with him on 18 April 2006, for an initial introductory meeting.

Licensing Act

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the operation of the Licensing Act 2003 (Premises licences and club premises certificates) Regulations 2005; and what recent representations she has received about the operation of these regulations.

Shaun Woodward: We are broadly satisfied with the operation of the Licensing Act 2003 (the 2003 Act) and the Regulations made under it. The Department estimates that some 190,000 premises have been successfully licensed under the 2003 Act.
	However, as with any large-scale reform, there is a need to ensure that the actual operation of the 2003 Act reflects the purposes for which it was introduced, and to examine and address any anomalies as far as is possible. That is why the Government established an Independent Licensing Fees Review Panel in May last year to consider whether fees had been set at the right level. Their final Report is due for publication in the autumn.
	We are also currently monitoring and evaluating the impact of the Licensing Act 2003 nationally through, for example, the Scrutiny Council initiative, in which officials from my Department are working with council officers and through them with local police and other responsible authorities, residents' groups, businesses and other stakeholders, to gather information about how the new regime is working on the ground.
	In addition, our two-stage review of the Guidance issued under section 182 of the Licensing Act 2003 commenced on 1 December 2005. We expect to lay a revised version of the Guidance before Parliament by the end of 2006.
	In the course of these monitoring and review processes, a number of representations have been received concerning matters covered by the 2003 Act and the regulations made under it, including the Licensing Act 2003 (Premises licences and club premises certificates) Regulations 2005.

Licensing Act

Andy Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment has been made of the effect of the Licensing Act 2003 on the costs to sporting bodies.

Shaun Woodward: I believe that the Licensing Act 2003 will benefit sports in the long term by removing the need for clubs to obtain a number of different permissions for different activities.
	However, I recognise that some concerns have been expressed about how sports clubs will adapt to the new licensing regime. An independent Licensing Fees Review Panel was established by the Government in May 2005 to consider whether fees had been set at the right level for community groups, including sports clubs, businesses and local authorities. The Panel—which is chaired by Sir Les Elton—published its interim findings on 5 December 2005. This identified a number of areas for more detailed work. The full interim report can be accessed on my Department's website at:
	<http://www.culture.gov.uk/alcohol_and_entertainment/monitoring_and_evaluation/ifreview.htm>
	The Panel is continuing to receive information from a number of stakeholder interests in order to gather the evidence that will inform their final Report, which is due to be published in the autumn.
	As implementation continues, my Department is working closely with Central Council of Physical Recreation (CCPR) and other sports bodies. The Department has asked the CCPR to provide any information about how sports clubs are adapting to the new licensing regime and in particular, to feed in any evidence about the impact of the fees into the Independent Fees Review Panel.

Licensing Act

Andy Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many  (a) temporary event notices and  (b) premises licences have been requested to enable (i) international and (ii) other indoor sporting events to take place since November 2005.

Shaun Woodward: This information is not held centrally.

Lotteries

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what legislation governs the provision of online lotteries operating in Northern Ireland; what representations he has received on online lotteries; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: I have been asked to reply.
	The law governing the promotion of lotteries in Northern Ireland (other than the national lottery) is contained in the Betting, Gaming, Lotteries and Amusements (Northern Ireland) Order 1985 and associated subordinate legislation. I have received no representations on on-line lotteries.

Obesity

Anne Moffat: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps her Department is taking to combat obesity through sport.

Richard Caborn: We are committed to reducing obesity, as set out in our public service agreement target to halt, by 2010, the year-on-year increase in obesity among children under 11 in the broader context of a broader strategy to tackle obesity in the population as a whole.
	Given the complexity of this public health challenge, my Department shares the target with the Department of Health and the Department for Education and Skills, to make sure that action is co-ordinated across our relevant sectors.
	In terms of sport, we are making good progress on the National School Sport Strategy. We are on course for 75 per cent. of five to 16-year-olds getting at least two hours of high quality physical education and school sport by the end of this year. There was an 11 per cent. rise in the number of children in school sport partnerships doing two hours of quality physical education and school sport between 2003-04 and 2004-05.
	However, we recognise that more needs to be done. That is why, for school sport, our plan is to make—from September 2006—overweight and obese children one of the target groups all school sport partnerships focus action on. We will also test out in a number of school sport partnerships what are most effective ways of supporting this target group of young people.

Olympic Games

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what her latest estimate is of the costs of hosting the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics in London.

Tessa Jowell: The Candidature File set out the key costs of staging the Games. Since then, it has become clear that in certain areas, such as security, there are cost pressures.
	Wherever we can, we are seeking to mitigate those pressures by cost reductions and maximising value. That work is continuing.

Tourism

Malcolm Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many full-time equivalent civil service staff have been working in her Department on the tourism portfolio in each year since 1995, broken down by grade.

Shaun Woodward: There are currently 30 civil service staff working on the tourism portfolio broken down as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 SCS 1 
			 A(U) 1 
			 A 7 
			 B 11 
			 C 8 
			 D 2 
		
	
	The information for the previous 10 years could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Tourism

Malcolm Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the grant-in-aid from her Department to the tourism industry was in each year since 1995, broken down by sector.

Shaun Woodward: My Department continues to invest substantially in the promotion and support of tourism, reflecting the sector's economic and cultural importance.
	Up to 2002-03, the marketing and promotion of Britain overseas was the responsibility of the British Tourist Authority. The support of tourism in England was the responsibility of the English Tourist Board up to 1998-99, and the English Tourism Council up to 2002-03. Grant-in-aid to these bodies was as follows:
	
		
			  £ million 
			   British Tourist Authority  English Tourist Board  English Tourism Council 
			 1995-96 34.5 10.0 — 
			 1996-97 35.0 10.0 — 
			 1997-98 35.0 9.9 — 
			 1998-99 35.0 9.7 — 
			 1999-2000 36.0 — 11.8 
			 2000-01 37.0 — 11.0 
			 2001-02 35.5 — 9.6 
			 2002-03 35.5 — 11.6 
		
	
	Further grant-in-aid was allocated to the Authority and the Council, as follows, to assist the tourism sector in recovering from the effects of the foot and mouth outbreak, and the bomb attacks of 11 September.
	
		
			  £ million 
			   British Tourist Authority  English Tourism Council 
			 2001-02 14.2 3.8 
			 2002-03 19.0 1.0 
		
	
	VisitBritain has, since 2003-04, been responsible for both the marketing of Britain overseas, and of England to the British (advised in the latter role by the England Marketing Advisory Board). Grant-in-aid to VisitBritain was, and is agreed, as follows:
	
		
			   £ million 
			 2003-04 47.9 
			 2004-05 48.4 
			 2005-06 49.05 
			 2006-07 50.05 
			 2007-08 50.05 
		
	
	Grant-in-aid to VisitBritain has been increased by £1 million for each of the years 2006-07 and 2007-08 to fund the further development and implementation of the EnglandNet e-marketing project.
	Further grant-in-aid has been paid by my Department to the regional development agencies since 2003-04 in respect of their strategic regional tourism support functions, and to the Greater London Authority to develop London's gateway role to the rest of Britain, as follows:
	
		
			  £ million 
			   Regional development agencies  Greater London Authority 
			 2001-02 — 1.9 
			 2002-03 — 1.9 
			 2003-04 3.6 1.9 
			 2004-05 3.6 1.9 
			 2005-06 3.6 1.9

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Capita Group

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much business his Department has placed with  (a) Capita Group plc and  (b) its subsidiaries in each of the last five years; what the total value is of outstanding contracts placed with Capita Group plc and its subsidiaries by his Department; for which current tenders issued by his Department (i) Capita Group plc and (ii) its subsidiaries have been invited to bid; and whether (A) Capita Group plc and (B) its subsidiaries have seconded staff (1) temporarily and (2) on a longer-term basis to (X) his Department and (Y) any of its agencies.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Details of expenditure under contracts placed with Capita Group plc and its subsidiaries are only readily available for the period beginning 1 April 2003. These are:
	
		
			  £  
			   2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			 Capita Group plc 197,473 54,755 86,178 
			 Capita Insurance Ser. Group Ltd. 4,637,399 78,482,067 56,460,981 
			 Capita Insurance Services 131,234 1,220,000 33,133,557 
			 Capita Business Services Ltd. 768,327 719,553 6,638 
			 Capita Health Solutions 23,631 15,825 201,158 
			 Capita Symonds — — 4,848 
			 BMI Health Services 15,270 5,520 1,282 
		
	
	In addition UKTI has committed the following expenditure over the same period.
	
		
			  £ 
			   2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			 BMI Health Services 1,260 — — 
			 Capita Business Services Ltd. 1,743 611 1,744 
			 RSA — — 50 
		
	
	The vast majority of expenditure with Capita Group subsidiaries relates to contracts for handling coal health claims. The remaining value of contracts for these services is approximately £57 million.
	The DTI does not disclose the identities of suppliers invited to bid for procurement exercises as this would prejudice the integrity of the bidding process.
	The DTI has no current secondment arrangements with Capita or any of its subsidiaries.
	 Letter from Graham Horne, dated 6 June 2006:
	The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has asked me to reply to you directly on behalf of The Insolvency Service in respect of your question (2005/3943) asking about our commercial involvement with Capita Group plc and its subsidiaries.
	We have an arrangement for medical referrals with BMI Health Services Ltd, who we understand were acquired by Capita Group in 2005 and became part of Capita Health Solutions Ltd. We spent £10,800 in 2003-4, £9,650 in 2004/5 and £464 in 2005/6 with BMI/Capita Health Solutions.
	We have also made payments to Capita Learning and Development for training services, amounting to £2,300 in 2004/5 and £3,800 in 2005/6.
	We have no current contracts for which Capita Group companies have been invited to bid, nor have we placed any seconded or contracted staff from Capita into The Insolvency Service.
	 Letter from Ron Marchant, dated 6 June 2006:
	I am responding to this parliamentary question, tabled on 22 March 2006. The Patent Office does not have any outstanding contracts placed with Capita and not placed any business with them in the last five years.
	 Letter from Jeff Llewellyn, dated 6 June 2006:
	The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has asked me to reply on behalf of the National Weights and Measures Laboratory (NWML) to your question regarding how much business has been placed with (a) Capita Group plc and (b) its subsidiaries in each of the last five years.
	In response to your question (Y), neither the Capita Group, nor any of its subsidiaries have seconded staff either temporarily or on a longer term basis to the National Weights & Measures Laboratory.
	 Letter from Claire Clancy, dated 6 June 2006:
	I am responding to your recently tabled Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on behalf of Companies House, which is an Executive Agency of the DTI.
	Companies House have no staff seconded from Capita Group plc or any of its subsidiary companies. We do, however, use one of the subsidiary companies, Capita Health Solutions, on a regular basis for pre-employment enquiries and staff referrals on health issues.

Departmental Initiatives

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the departmental initiatives for each year since 2000 which required bids for funding from  (a) voluntary organisations and  (b) local authorities together with the total resource allocated to each initiative in each year; how many successful bids there were in each year; what proportion this figure represents of the total bids received; and what assessment he has made of the costs of (i) preparing bids for each initiative and (ii) assessing those bids.

Jim Fitzpatrick: This information is not readily available and can be obtained only at disproportionate costs.

Disability Access

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether any building in his Department falls short of disability access regulations.

Jim Fitzpatrick: All of the Department's buildings are compliant with disability access.

Equal Pay

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps are undertaken within his Department to ensure that women are obtaining equal pay to men doing work of equal value.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The DTI completed an equal pay review in 2003 for staff for whom they have delegated pay responsibility and put in place an action plan to address any concerns. This was published at http://www.dti.gov.uk/about_dti._documents.html.
	A key action that has been taken is the introduction in 2003-05 of a revised pay system for these staff. This provides transparent pay progression to a target rate within a set period of time subject to performance.
	Cabinet Office is responsible for the pay arrangements for the senior civil service (SCS) and undertook a separate equal pay review in 2002. It has been re-examined each year since as part of the Government's evidence to the Senior Salaries Review Body.

Free Air Miles

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many free air miles have been earned by senior civil servants in his Department in each of the last three years; and how they were used.

Jim Fitzpatrick: DTI does not keep records of air miles earned by senior civil servants. To provide this information would entail disproportionate cost. All DTI staff are instructed that any air miles earned from expenditure of public money should be used for official business or forgone.

Fuel Efficiency

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps have been taken to make his Department's headquarters building in Victoria Street more fuel efficient in the last two years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: DTI are working toward achieving the energy efficiency targets expressed in the framework for sustainable development, Part E-Energy. The targets set are to improve the energy efficiency of the buildings on the estate by 15 per cent. in terms of KWH usage and that used per square metre by 2010-11.
	The main strategy is to gain efficiencies as a result of the reduction of the physical size of the estate and the number of buildings. As a result the DTI London HQ estate has been reduced by approximately 30 per cent. with significant associated reductions in the Department's overall energy usage.
	The Department has also implemented a number of energy efficiency initiatives since the target was published. In 1 Victoria Street this included a number of energy efficiency projects to improve lighting and environmental controls as well as occupant awareness. The Department has also undertaken a study into the use of localised micro-generation of energy on the estate. Energy efficiency is taken into account in any estate project undertaken and has included the introduction of energy minimising technology within the recent IT systems refresh.

Oxford 2 Cambridge Arc Plans

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has to link the Oxford 2 Cambridge Arc plans to  (a) the Milton Keynes South Midlands growth area and  (b) the West Midlands regional economy.

Margaret Hodge: The Oxford 2 Cambridge Arc initiative is funded and overseen jointly by the South East England Development Agency, the East Midlands Development Agency, and the East of England Development Agency. The Arc's geography links Oxford to Cambridge to include the Milton Keynes South Midlands growth area but does not include the West Midlands. Further development of the Arc is the responsibility of the regional development agencies.
	The development of the MKSM growth area has taken full account of cross-regional linkages. The West Midlands can flourish irrespective of the MKSM growth area and indeed can benefit from infrastructure improvements.

Pensions

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many and what percentage of staff in his Department are making additional voluntary contributions to their pension.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Members of the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme (PCSPS) can pay additional contributions to top up their pension either through the Civil Service Additional Voluntary Contributions Scheme (CSAVCS), a money purchase arrangement, or by buying added years of service in the PCSPS. As an alternative to membership of the PCSPS recruits from 1 October 2002 have been able to join a stakeholder arrangement, the partnership pension account.
	The number and percentage of staff in the department who are making additional voluntary contributions to their pension as at 30 April are shown in the following table. The figures include staff in DTI Executive Agencies.
	
		
			   Number  Percentage 
			 CSAVCS 2,480 33.82 
			 Added years 866 11.80 
			 Partnership 280 3.81

Portland PR

Eric Martlew: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what meetings officials in his Department have had with representatives of the public relations company Portland PR; what contracts Portland PR has with his Department and agencies for which he has responsibility; and what the nature of the contract is in each case.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department does not maintain a central list of such meetings. Civil servants meet many people as part of the process of policy development and business delivery. All such meetings are conducted in accordance with the requirements of the Civil Service Code and Guidance for civil servants on contacts with lobbyists and people outside Government.
	The Department has no contracts with Portland PR.
	I have asked the Chief Executives of the Executive Agencies to respond directly to the hon. Member.
	 Letter from Dr. Jeff Llewellyn, dated 6 June 2006:
	The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has asked me to reply on behalf of the National Weights and Measures Laboratory (NWML) to your question regarding what meetings officials in his Department have had with representatives of the public relations company Portland PR; what contracts Portland PR has with his Department and agencies for which he has responsibility; and what the nature of the contract is in each case.
	NWML has had no dealings with Portland PR to date.
	 Letter from Desmond Flynn, dated 6 June 2006:
	The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has asked me to reply to your question (2005/4520) requesting what meetings officials in his Department have had with representatives of the public relations company Portland PR; what contracts Portland PR has with his Department and agencies for which he has responsibility; and what the nature of the contract is in each case.
	The Insolvency Service Executive Agency of the Department of Trade and Industry does not use external PR agencies to carry out any PR activity. The Service has not had any contact and has not made any approaches to set up any contracts to work with Portland PR.
	 Letter from Claire Clancy, dated 6 June 2006:
	I am responding to your recently tabled Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on behalf of Companies House, which is an Executive Agency of the DTI.
	Companies House has no contracts with Portland PR, and I am not aware of any meetings having taken place between Companies House staff and this company.

Private Office Staff

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much has been paid in  (a) salary,  (b) travelling expenses,  (c) subsistence allowance and  (d) removal expenses to special advisers in his private office in each of the last five years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: In respect of  (a) salary, since 2003, the Government have published on an annual basis the names and overall cost of special advisers and the number in each payband. For information relating to the last financial year I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement made by my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, on 21 July 2005,  Official Report, columns 158-61WS.
	Information on special advisers for this financial year is currently being collected and will be published in the normal way when it is ready.
	There is no breakdown available between  (b) travelling expenses and  (c) subsistence allowance but the combined figures are:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2001-02 4,000 
			 2002-03 16,000 
			 2003-04 23,000 
			 2004-05 3,000 
			 2005-06 24,000 
		
	
	Information is not available on the cost of removal expenses  (d).
	All official travel by special advisers is undertaken in accordance with the requirements of the ministerial code and the civil service management code.

Staff Surveys

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many staff surveys have been conducted in his Department in each of the last three years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The DTI has carried out four staff surveys in the past three years (2003-04—2005-06).

World Cup

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans  (a) he and  (b) Ministers in his Department have to attend matches at the FIFA World Cup 2006 in Germany.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Neither my right hon. Friend or other Ministers have any plans to attend matches at the FIFA World Cup in Germany.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Acts (Departmental Responsibility)

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will list the  (a) Acts and  (b) parts of Acts which received Royal Assent between 1976 and 2006 and for which his Department has policy responsibility and which remain in force.

Parmjit Dhanda: The information requested is as follows.
	 Acts for which DFES has sole policy responsibility:
	Activity Centres (Young Persons' Safety) Act 1995 (c 15).
	Adoption (Intercountry Aspects) Act 1999 (c 18).
	Adoption Act 1976 (c 36).
	Adoption and Children Act 2002 (c 38).
	Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000 (c 35).
	Children Act 1989 (c 41).
	Children Act 2004 (c 31).
	Education (Fees and Awards) Act 1983 (c40).
	Education (No 2) Act 1986 (c 61).
	Education (Schools) Act 1992 (c 38).
	Education (Schools) Act 1997 (c 59).
	Education Act 1980 (c 20).
	Education Act 1986 (c40).
	Education Act 1994 (c 30).
	Education Act 1996 (c 56).
	Education Act 1997 (c 44).
	Education Act 2002 (c 32).
	Education Act 2005 (c 18).
	Education Reform Act 1988 (c 40).
	Further and Higher Education Act 1992 (c 13).
	Further Education Act 1985 (c47).
	Higher Education Act 2004 (c 8).
	Industrial Training Act 1982 (c 10).
	Learning and Skills Act 2000 (c 21).
	Protection of Children Act 1999 (c 14).
	School Inspections Act 1996 (c 57).
	School Standards and Framework Act 1998 (c 31).
	Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001 (c 10).
	Teaching and Higher Education Act 1998 (c 30).
	Industrial Training Act 1982 (c 10).
	Learning and Skills Act 2000 (c 21).
	Protection of Children Act 1999 (c 14).
	School Inspections Act 1996 (c 57).
	School Standards and Framework Act 1998 (c 31).
	Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001 (c 10).
	Teaching and Higher Education Act 1998 (c 30).
	 Acts for which DFES has partial policy responsibility:
	Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 (c 38)?Part 3.
	Care Standards Act 2000 (c 14)?DFES has some policy responsibility in relation to children.
	Carers (Equal Opportunities) Act 2004 (c 15)?DFES has some policy responsibility in relation to children.
	Carers (Recognition and Services) Act 1995 (c 12)?DFES has some policy responsibility in relation to children.
	Carers and Disabled Children Act 2000 (c 16)?DFES has some policy responsibility in relation to children.
	Crime and Disorder Act 1998 (c 37)?Part 1 as far as relates to parenting orders.
	Data Protection Act 1998 (c 29)?Schedule 11.
	Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (c 50)?Part 4.

Alcohol (Young Adults)

Anne Snelgrove: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans he has to help educators encourage responsible alcohol consumption in young adults.

Beverley Hughes: Educating pupils about the effects of alcohol and how to reduce alcohol related harm is an important priority for all schools. The Department therefore expects all schools to reflect this within their drug education programmes and this is set out in 'Drugs: Guidance for Schools 2004'.
	Drug education which includes alcohol and tobacco is compulsory at key stages 1 to 4 as part of the National Curriculum in Science but is most commonly delivered through Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE). Through the PSHE certificate for teachers we are training teachers to deliver better PSHE including alcohol education. DfES has also issued guidance to schools on drugs which emphasizes the importance of addressing alcohol as part of a comprehensive programme.
	We also commissioned DrugScope to produce guidance for drugs and alcohol education in FE colleges, which can be found on their website.

Children's Commissioner for England

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what  (a) the start-up costs are and  (b) first year's budget is for the Office of the Children's Commissioner for England.

Beverley Hughes: We are not able to quantify the start-up costs for the Office of the Children's Commissioner as much of the costs—such as the administrative support for the Children Act 2004, the recruitment costs for the Commissioner himself and initial support for his office—fall under the general administration of the Department for Education and Skills. The first year's (2005-06) budget for the Children's Commissioner was £3 million. The Children's Commissioner's Annual Report and accounts for 2005-06 must both be laid before Parliament, these will give more detail on the Commissioner's expenditure.

Contraceptive Pill

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what guidance he has given to schools since 1997 regarding the potential liability of school governors in the event of  (a) a fatality,  (b) stroke and  (c) other adverse reaction to a pupil aged under 16 years as a direct consequence of taking the emergency hormonal contraceptive pill (i) where the drug has been supplied on school premises with the sanction of the governors, (ii) where the drug has been supplied on school premises without the sanction of the governors and (iii) where the drug has been supplied off school premises but as a result of a referral by a school nurse on school premises without the sanction of the governors.

Beverley Hughes: No specific guidance has been issued to schools on this issue. The liability for the actions of health professionals working on school sites rests with the primary care trust (PCT), or NHS trust which employs them. School governors are responsible for ensuring that the school has consulted parents on the nature and scope of any health services available in the school; and ensuring that a protocol exists with the PCT/trust that makes clear which services will be delivered by PCT/trust staff working on the school site.
	In terms of the individual scenarios described in the question:
	(i) where the drug has been supplied on school premises with the sanction of the governors, the nurse will be personally accountable for their practice, but the employer (PCT/trust) may also be held vicariously responsible for the nurse's actions.
	(ii) where the drug has been supplied on school premises without the sanction of the governors, the nurse will be personally accountable for their practice, but will still have vicarious liability protection with their employer (PCT/trust) if acting with their consent.
	(iii) where the drug has been supplied off school premises but as a result of a referral by a school nurse on school premises, without the sanction of the governors, the nurse will be personally accountable for their practice, but will still have vicarious liability protection with their employer (PCT/trust) if acting with their consent.
	Emergency hormonal contraception (EHC) is a 'prescription-only' medicine, prescribed by GPs, qualified nurse independent prescribers and nurses and pharmacists working under a patient group direction (PGD). A PGD is where a doctor has delegated authority and the supply will therefore always be under medical supervision. The safety profile of EHC for under-16s is considered to be similar to that for older women. Fatalities and strokes are not associated with use of EHC.

Correspondence

Derek Conway: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when the Minister of State for Schools and 14 to 19 learners will reply to the letters dated 17 January 2006 and 22 March 2006 from the hon. Member for Old Bexley and Sidcup (Derek Conway).

Phil Hope: The hon. Member received responses to both letters in April.

Free School Meals

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many pupils were enrolled at each maintained school in the city of Newcastle upon Tyne in January (a) 2004,  (b) 2005 and  (c) 2006; and how many and what percentage of pupils in each school were (i) eligible for and (ii) receiving free school meals.

Jim Knight: The information requested has been placed in the Library.

Higher Education

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the rate of participation in higher education by 18-year-olds was in each region in England in  (a) 2004-05 and  (b) 2005-06.

Bill Rammell: The current measure of higher education initial participation is the Higher Education Initial Participation Rate (HEIPR), which is used to measure progress against the Government's target of increasing participation towards 50 per cent. of those aged 18 to 30 by 2010. This covers English-domiciled 17 to 30-year-old first time entrants to HE courses, at UK HEIs and English FECs, who remain on their course for at least six months. The figure is expressed as a proportion of the 17 to 30-year-old population of England. The HEIPR cannot be disaggregated by smaller areas. The provisional 2004/05 figure for England is 42 per cent., and the 2005/06 figure will be available in March 2007.
	The latest available figures on participation by region were published by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) in January in "Young Participation in England", which is available from their website at: http://www.hefce.ac.uk/pubs/hefce/2005/05 _03/. HEFCE has calculated a Young Participation Rate (YPR (A)), which is the proportion of young people in a given area who go on to enter full-time higher education at age 18 or 19. This measure covers the period 1997-2000. This proportion is disaggregated by Government office region, and the figures for England are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Young participation rate (YPR (A)) 
			  Percentage 
			   Year cohort aged 18 in: 
			   1997/98  1998/99  1999/2000  2000/01 
			 England 29.2 28.8 29.2 29.9 
			  of which: 
			 North East 24.2 23.4 24.0 24.0 
			 North West 27.4 27.5 27.6 28.2 
			 Yorkshire and  the Humber 25.6 24.6 25.2 25.6 
			 East Midlands 27.7 27.2 27.5 27.9 
			 West Midlands 27.3 27.1 27.7 28.1 
			 East of England 29.2 28.6 28.6 30.1 
			 London 33.1 34.2 35.0 36.4 
			 South East 33.2 32.2 32.7 33.3 
			 South West 30.7 29.1 29.1 30.0 
			  Source:  HEFCE "Young Participation in Higher Education".

Independent Children's Homes

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many independent children's homes are registered.

Parmjit Dhanda: I understand from the Chair of the Commission for Social Care Inspection that as at 21 March 2006 there were 1,388 independent children's homes registered with the Commission. These include 1,257 homes run by private providers and 131 homes run by voluntary providers.

Independent Schools

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the cost to individual schools if the draft regulations for registration and monitoring of independent schools are implemented;
	(2)  what discussions he has had with Ofsted on the draft regulations for registration and monitoring of independent schools;
	(3)  what discussions he has had with  (a) individual independent schools,  (b) the Headmasters Conference and  (c) other bodies representing the independent schooling sector on the draft regulations for registration and monitoring of independent schools.

Jim Knight: Regulations relating to the registration and monitoring of independent schools were made in 2003. No new regulations have been, or are being, drafted.

Munchausen's Syndrome by Proxy

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many cases of fabricated or induced illness in children were notified to the Department in  (a) 2005,  (b) 2004 and  (c) 2003 in each local authority area; and if he will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Non-Civil Service Staff

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many non-civil servant staff are working in  (a) her Department and  (b) each of its agencies; and what the pay levels are in each case.

Parmjit Dhanda: The information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Overseas Students

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many overseas students there were in each higher education institution in 2005-06; and what proportion of the student body this represented in each case.

Bill Rammell: The latest available information is shown in the table.
	
		
			  Overseas students at English Higher Education Institutions 2004/05 
			Of which: 
			EU domiciles  Overseas domiciles  Domiciles (EU & non-EU) 
			   Total enrolments  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage 
			 University of Buckingham 690 45 7 475 69 520 76 
			 London Business School 1,625 265 16 775 48 1,040 64 
			 London School of Economics and Political Science 8,815 1,495 17 3,965 45 5,455 62 
			 London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine 970 125 13 440 45 565 58 
			 School of Oriental and African Studies 4,300 605 14 1,355 31 1,960 46 
			 Royal College of Music 610 135 22 135 22 270 44 
			 Royal Academy of Music 735 115 16 205 28 320 44 
			 Institute of Cancer Research 155 30 18 30 21 60 39 
			 Cranfield University 4,600 950 21 815 18 1,765 38 
			 Royal College of Art 865 200 23 130 15 330 38 
			 University of London (Institutes and activities) 445 60 14 95 22 155 35 
			 Imperial College of Science, Technology & Medicine 12,185 1,410 12 2,835 23 4,250 35 
			 Courtauld Institute of Art 400 50 13 85 22 140 34 
			 University of the Arts, London 12,720 1,475 12 2,775 22 4,245 33 
			 Trinity College of Music 795 165 21 90 12 260 33 
			 University of Essex 10,830 1,025 9 2,280 21 3,305 31 
			 University of Luton 11,815 1,135 10 2,415 20 3,550 30 
			 University College London 19,590 1,835 9 3,805 19 5,640 29 
			 University of Bradford 12,660 675 5 2,820 22 3,490 28 
			 University of Surrey 15,925 1,490 9 2,900 18 4,390 28 
			 Royal Holloway and Bedford New College 7,655 690 9 1,335 17 2,025 26 
			 University of Warwick 29,795 1,995 7 5,535 19 7,530 25 
			 Conservatoire for Dance and Drama 1,005 160 16 90 9 250 25 
			 Birmingham College of Food, Tourism and Creative Studies 3,530 170 5 700 20 870 25 
			 Queen Mary and Westfield College 11,005 575 5 2,130 19 2,705 25 
			 Royal Northern College of Music 555 45 8 90 16 135 24 
			 London Metropolitan University 29,400 2,030 7 5,055 17 7,085 24 
			 Middlesex University 24,885 1,205 5 4,790 19 6,000 24 
			 University of Oxford 22,640 1,630 7 3,775 17 5,405 24 
			 City University 23,925 1,805 8 3,635 15 5,440 23 
			 University of Cambridge 25,595 1,735 7 3,955 15 5,690 22 
			 Kent Institute of Art and Design 2,225 220 10 265 12 490 22 
			 Aston University 8,475 400 5 1,440 17 1,840 22 
			 University of Bath 14,565 965 7 2,170 15 3,130 22 
			 University of Westminster 26,775 1,865 7 3,790 14 5,650 21 
			 Brunei University 15,450 1,175 8 1,995 13 3,170 21 
			 University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne 18,510 880 5 2,750 15 3,630 20 
			 Loughborough University 16,270 565 3 2,585 16 3,145 19 
			 University of East London 16,360 950 6 2,185 13 3,140 19 
			 University of Greenwich 22,275 970 4 3,175 14 4,140 19 
			 University of Leicester 16,180 645 4 2,355 15 3,000 19 
			 University of York 12,625 695 6 1,635 13 2,330 18 
			 King's College London 21,965 1,565 7 2,485 11 4,050 18 
			 University of Birmingham 30,520 1,220 4 4,330 14 5,550 18 
			 University of Portsmouth 20,810 1,320 6 2,450 12 3,770 18 
			 University of Nottingham 32,620 1,025 3 4,860 15 5,885 18 
			 Goldsmiths College 7,270 560 8 750 10 1,310 18 
			 University of Kent 17,060 1,190 7 1,870 11 3,060 18 
			 School of Pharmacy 1,400 60 4 190 14 250 18 
			 University of Sunderland 18,635 740 4 2,570 14 3,310 18 
			 Oxford Brookes University 18,570 945 5 2,340 13 3,280 18 
			 University of Manchester 39,985 1,650 4 5,400 14 7,055 18 
			 University of Sheffield 26,055 865 3 3,600 14 4,465 17 
			 University of Sussex 12,205 950 8 1,110 9 2,055 17 
			 University of Hertfordshire 23,030 540 2 3,335 14 3,875 17 
			 Royal Veterinary College 1,440 85 6 155 11 240 17 
			 Institute of Education 6,770 345 5 795 12 1,140 17 
			 University of Bristol 23,360 1,070 5 2,740 12 3,810 16 
			 University of Durham 16,980 625 4 2,045 12 2,670 16 
			 University of Southampton 23,500 1,075 5 2,610 11 3,685 16 
			 London South Bank University 21,155 980 5 2,320 11 3,305 16 
			 University of Reading 14,355 720 5 1,510 11 2,230 16 
			 University of Leeds 36,205 1,130 3 4,400 12 5,530 15 
			 Coventry University 19,455 1,060 5 1,900 10 2,960 15 
			 University of Hull 21,765 740 3 2,560 12 3,300 15 
			 University of Exeter 14,570 645 4 1,540 11 2,185 15 
			 Wimbledon School of Art 655 45 7 50 7 95 15 
			 University of Lancaster 17,340 815 5 1,695 10 2,510 14 
			 Central School of Speech and Drama 970 65 7 75 8 140 14 
			 Royal Agricultural College 805 20 3 95 12 115 14 
			 University of Wolverhampton 23,560 845 4 2,425 10 3,275 14 
			 Staffordshire University 14,995 825 6 1,255 8 2,080 14 
			 Rose Bruford College 865 55 6 65 8 120 14 
			 University of Northumbria at Newcastle 25,535 730 3 2,790 11 3,520 14 
			 Kingston University 20,525 1,125 5 1,680 8 2,805 14 
			 Ravensboume College of Design and Communication 1,105 55 5 95 8 150 14 
			 University of Brighton 20,015 1,405 7 1,255 6 2,660 13 
			 Thames Valley University 20,015 1,000 5 1,625 8 2,625 13 
			 Liverpool Hope University 7,670 285 4 720 9 1,000 13 
			 University of East Anglia 14,325 550 4 1,315 9 1,865 13 
			 University of Liverpool 21,210 670 3 2,075 10 2,750 13 
			 University of Salford 20,100 690 3 1,910 10 2,605 13 
			 Writtle College 1,170 50 4 95 8 145 12 
			 Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College 9,305 255 3 900 10 1,155 12 
			 Leeds Metropolitan University 28,035 730 3 2,630 9 3,360 12 
			 Liverpool John Moores University 22,955 875 4 1,800 8 2,670 12 
			 Cumbria Institute of the Arts 1,045 105 10 15 1 120 11 
			 Darlington College of Arts 595 45 7 25 4 70 11 
			 Surrey Institute of Art and Design. University College 2,755 135 5 175 6 310 11 
			 University of Keele 11,840 300 3 1,000 8 1,300 11 
			 Bournemouth University 15,300 475 3 1,175 8 1,650 11 
			 Southampton Solent University 11,250 390 3 790 7 1,180 10 
			 Arts Institute at Bournemouth 1,490 65 4 90 6 150 10 
			 University of Bolton 7,475 150 2 605 8 755 10 
			 Roehampton University 7,955 325 4 445 6 770 10 
			 Sheffield Hallam University 28,085 505 2 2,140 8 2,650 9 
			 Anglia Polytechnic University 26,850 1,235 5 1,235 5 2,475 9 
			 St. Mary's College 3,500 290 8 10 0 300 9 
			 University of Central Lancashire 26,725 605 2 1,675 6 2,285 9 
			 University College Falmouth 1,960 55 3 100 5 155 8 
			 University of Lincoln 13,045 585 4 445 3 1,030 8 
			 University of Central England in Birmingham 23,070 450 2 1,260 5 1,710 7 
			 University of the West of England, Bristol 27,225 800 3 1,215 4 2,020 7 
			 University of Derby 13,975 515 4 510 4 1,025 7 
			 University College Northampton 10,445 150 1 595 6 745 7 
			 Manchester Metropolitan University 32,215 825 3 1,470 5 2,290 7 
			 University of Huddersfield 17,935 450 2 810 5 1,260 7 
			 De Montfort University 22,785 415 2 1,090 5 1,500 7 
			 Norwich School of Art and Design 820 25 3 30 3 55 7 
			 St. George's Hospital Medical School 3,510 85 2 145 4 230 7 
			 University of Plymouth 28,980 705 2 1,145 4 1,850 6 
			 Nottingham Trent University 26,540 555 2 1,080 4 1,635 6 
			 University of Teesside 20,430 590 3 615 3 1,210 6 
			 University of Gloucestershire 8,620 125 1 360 4 485 6 
			 Birkbeck College 14,905 300 2 500 3 800 5 
			 Harper Adams University College 1,745 60 3 35 2 95 5 
			 University College Chichester 5,160 145 3 125 2 265 5 
			 College of St. Mark and St. John 4,630 45 1 185 4 230 5 
			 Bath Spa University 6,275 100 2 160 3 260 4 
			 Canterbury Christ Church University 14,630 250 2 355 2 605 4 
			 University of Chester 12,510 210 2 250 2 460 4 
			 York St. John College 5,720 25 0 180 3 205 4 
			 Royal College of Nursing 880 5 1 25 3 30 4 
			 Newman College of Higher Education 2,385 75 3 10 0 85 3 
			 University College Worcester 7,595 130 2 125 2 255 3 
			 University of Winchester 4,940 35 1 95 2 135 3 
			 Trinity and All Saints College 2,500 30 1 35 1 65 3 
			 St. Martin's College 12,355 205 2 90 1 295 2 
			 Edge Hill College of HE 14,620 90 1 50 0 140 1 
			 Homerton College 2,765 5 0 20 1 25 1 
			 Bishop Grosseteste College 1,500 0 0 0 0 5 0 
			 Open University 173,015 5 0 5 0 5 0 
			 Total English HE institutions 1,895,825 79,525 4 188,770 10 268,300 14 
			  Notes: 1. Figures are on a HESA standard registration population basis and are rounded to the nearest 5, <3 denoted 0. 2. Figures do not include incoming and visiting exchange students. In 2004/05 there were 19,925 non-UK domiciled incoming and visiting exchange students at English HE institutions.

Performance Pay

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many staff in her Department are paid on a performance-related basis.

Parmjit Dhanda: All staff in my Department are paid on a performance-related basis.

School Closures

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what criteria are used to determine primary school closures.

Jim Knight: holding answer 5 June 2006
	Changes to local school organisation, including school closures, are decided under local decision making arrangements. Individual proposals are determined by the local authority if they published the proposals and there are no objections. In all other cases the proposals are decided by the local School Organisation Committee (SOC) or the Schools Adjudicator, if the SOC cannot reach a unanimous decision.
	SOCs and schools adjudicators must have regard to 'Decision Makers' Guidance' issued by the Secretary of State when deciding proposals. The guidance sets out a range of factors that must be considered for the different types of proposals but also stresses that all cases must be considered on their individual merits. For school closures the factors include: the impact on standards and diversity, the impact on the supply of school places, the cost effectiveness of the proposals, the impact on the community, the views of interested parties and the nature of the journey to any alternative provision.
	The guidance also sets out a presumption against the closure of rural schools. The 'Decision Makers' Guidance' is available on the Department's School Organisation website at:
	www.dfes.gov.uk/school.org

Social Exclusion (Schools)

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what in-service training is provided for teachers to help them tackle social exclusion within schools; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Knight: holding answer 27 April 2006
	In order to achieve Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) trainee teachers need to demonstrate they have met the standards for QTS. These standards ensure that all new teachers have the subject knowledge, the teaching and learning expertise they need and are well prepared for the wider professional demands of being a teacher.
	Further to this, it is for schools to the set their own improvement priorities, which may include social exclusion and inclusive teaching. They also decide what professional development is required in order to achieve their priorities, taking into account local circumstances and the needs of their teachers.
	Support is available to schools through a variety of programmes. In particular the National Strategies' consultants focus on helping schools facing the greatest challenges. This year the National Strategies will be providing training for teachers in the use of catch-up lessons for pupils who have fallen behind, which will help to tackle the problem of children from disadvantaged backgrounds under-achieving. Excellence in Cities is a programme targeted in areas of highest deprivation giving schools access to additional resources through programmes such as Learning Mentors, Learning Support Units and expertise for CPD to meet the teaching and learning needs of teachers in dealing with the barriers faced by disadvantaged young people.

Subject Skills Shortages

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills further to his oral answer on 25 May 2006,  Official Report, columns 1613-5, on subject skills shortages, what the teacher specialisms are; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: A teacher's specialisms are subjects which they are equipped to teach, which may reflect their degree, the subjects taken at Initial Teacher Training, and subsequent re-training.

Sure Start Unit

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills for what reason his Department has not released the delivery unit report on the sure start unit completed in November 2005.

Beverley Hughes: holding answer 6 June 2006
	The report of the Prime Minister's delivery unit's (PMDU) review of the Government's 10 Year Childcare Strategy, was, like all PMDU reports, an internal report made to Ministers and not intended for wider publication. Following a request to see the report under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, the Department declined to release the document, in line with section 35 of that Act which provides that:
	"information is exempt if it relates to the formulation of Government policy".
	However, the PMDU review was used to inform our preparation of "choice for parents, the best start for children: making it happen, an action plan for the ten year strategy: sure start children's centres, extended schools and childcare", published on 4 April 2006 and available at:
	www.everychildmatters.gov.uk.

Young Mothers

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of girls who gave birth under the age of 16 years in each year since 1990 went on to obtain educational qualifications.

Beverley Hughes: The information requested is not routinely collected. However, that engagement in education and training is a protective factor against poor outcomes for teenage mothers and their children. That is why increasing the proportion of teenage mothers in education, employment or training (EET) is one of the key aims of the Teenage Pregnancy Strategy. Evidence shows that there were higher rates of participation in EET among under-16s in the Sure Start Plus pilot areas, where young parents were provided with a holistic package of support from a dedicated Personal Adviser. Lessons from the Sure Start Pilots were included in the Children's Centre practice guidance issued in 2005.

CABINET OFFICE

Bonuses

David Simpson: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many non-pensionable bonuses were awarded to members of her staff in each of the last three years; and at what total cost.

Patrick McFadden: The table shows non-pensionable bonuses awarded to members of staff in Cabinet Office in each of the last three years. The table includes the number of bonuses issued and the total costs per year.
	
		
			   Total number of bonuses  Total cost of bonuses (£)  Bonuses as percentage of annual pay bill 
			 2003-04 1969 1,876,000 2.5 
			 2004-05 1390 1,719,000 2.3 
			 2005-06 1526 2,011,000 2.6

Debt Collectors

Julie Kirkbride: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether the Duchy uses the services of private debt collectors.

Hilary Armstrong: The Duchy of Lancaster very rarely uses the services of private debt collectors, the last occasion being in 2004.

Departmental Staff

David Simpson: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many staff in her Department did not achieve an acceptable mark in their annual report in each of the last three years; and what percentage this represented of the total number of staff in each case.

Patrick McFadden: Under the Department's performance management procedures, unacceptable performance may be addressed at any time of the year. Central records on the number of staff whose performance has been assessed as unsatisfactory are not available for periods before 1 June 2005. Since that date, fourteen staff have been handled under the Department's formal disciplinary procedures for poor performance. This represents less than 1 per cent. of the total number of staff.

Departmental Staff

Jim Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many  (a) pay grades and  (b) pay bargaining units there are in the civil service; and how many grades and bargaining units there were in  (a) 1997 and  (b) 2001.

Patrick McFadden: Departments have delegated authority to determine their own pay and grading arrangements below the senior civil service that are tailored to meet their business needs. Under the delegated arrangements, comprehensive information on grading structures in individual departments is not collected centrally. Similarly, it is for each department to determine what bargaining arrangements are appropriate for their own organisation and in their executive agencies. Nevertheless, Cabinet Office records indicate that there are about 80 bargaining units currently operating across the civil service and there were about 100 in 2002. Cabinet Office has no records for 1997 and 2001.
	Pay for senior civil servants is not delegated to departments and is not subject to collective bargaining. There were nine SCS pay bands in 1997 and four in 2001; this remains the current position.

Information Technology

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the  (a) originally estimated,  (b) most recently estimated and  (c) outturn cost was in each of the five largest information technology contracts agreed by the Cabinet Office with outside suppliers over the last five years.

Patrick McFadden: Financial information on the five largest information technology (IT) contracts agreed by the department with outside suppliers over the last five years cannot be made available in the form requested without incurring disproportionate cost.
	However the Department's largest five IT contractors by expenditure, and the total expenditure recorded against each of them over the past five financial years, are shown in the table.
	
		
			  Contractor name  Total recorded expenditure 's (£) 
			 Computacenter 83,969,515 
			 Hewlett-Packard 55,535,729 
			 Atos 40,701,106 
			 Cable and Wireless 26,554,274 
			 Electronic Data Systems 23,952,188 
		
	
	It should be noted that the above figures contain some data from the 2005-06 financial year which is currently subject to audit. Audited figures will not be available until the resource accounts are published prior to summer recess.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Chevening

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on how many occasions hospitality has been offered at Chevening to members of  (a) foreign and  (b) Commonwealth governments in each year since 2000.

Margaret Beckett: Official hospitality has been provided to members of foreign governments on the following occasions since 2000:
	
		
			   Hospitality 
			 30 November 2000 Dinner in honour of President Chirac 
			 17/18 December 2001 Lunch and dinner for UK/Ukraine Conference 
			 22/23 May 2002 Lunch and dinner for UK/Germany Economic Talks 
			 1 February 2003 Dinner for French Foreign Minister 
			 19 January 2004 Dinner for French and German Foreign Ministers 
		
	
	No official hospitality has been offered to members of Commonwealth governments.
	In addition Chevening was used to host a number of meetings of senior officials as part of the G8 process in 2005.

EU Defence Policy

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many members of staff in EU institutions and agencies are working on EU defence policy; and at what cost in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Geoff Hoon: There are four EU institutions and agencies responsible for European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP):
	The Directorate General External (DGE) VIII of the Council Secretariat. This is responsible for the defence aspects of external relations and has 19 staff, excluding secretarial/support staff;
	DGE IX of the Council Secretariat. This covers civilian crisis management and co-ordination and has 32 staff, excluding secretarial/support staff;
	The EU Military Staff. This is the source of military expertise and provides early warning, situation assessment and strategic planning for crisis management outside the EU. This has approximately 185 staff, but this should rise to 197 once all vacancies have been filled; and
	The European Defence Agency: responsible for co-ordinating EU military capability development and defence research and technology. This has approximately 85-90 staff.
	Figures for costs of these staff would be very difficult to determine, as some of the staff are seconded by member states, which pay for them. In general terms, however, the overall total budget for 2006 of the EU Council is €527,344,953 of which the costs of these staff represent a small proportion. Further details on the European Council budgets from 2003 can be found on the following website: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/budget/www/index-en.htm.

EU Defence Policy

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the total budget was for EU defence policy in each of the last 10 years; and how much is budgeted for each of the next seven years.

Geoff Hoon: The budget for EU defence policy, also known as European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP), covers civilian activities and is drawn from the Common Foreign Security Policy (CFSP) budget. Military ESDP operations are not funded from this budget, but are instead paid for on an ad-hoc basis by contributions directly from EU member states. Budgeting for civilian ESDP missions began in 2002 with the EU follow-on mission (EUPM) to the United Nations International Police Task Force in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Budget allocations for this and subsequent missions were decided as follows:
	
		
			   € million 
			  2002  
			 Police Mission in Bosnia-Herzegovina (EUPM) 34 
			   
			  2003  
			 EUPM (1)19.2 
			 Police Mission in Macedonia (EUPOL Proxima—later EUPAT) 15.006 
			   
			  2004  
			 EUPOL Proxima (later EUPAT) 22.505 
			 Rule of Law Mission in Georgia (EUJUST THEMIS) 2.05 
			   
			  2005  
			 EUPM 17.41 
			 EUPAT 1.5 
			 Police Mission in Kinshasa, DRC (EUPOL Kinshasa) 4.5 
			 Rule of Law Mission in Iraq (EUJUST LEX) 10 
			 Security Sector Reform Mission in DRC (EUSEC RD Congo) 1.6 
			 Aceh Monitoring Mission 9 
			 Police Mission in Palestine (EUPOL COPPS) 6.1 
			 Border Assistance Mission in Rafah (EUBAM Rafah) 7.6 
			   
			  2006 (allocated to date)  
			 EUPM 12 
			 EUPOL Kinshasa 3.5 
			 Planning team for a mission in Kosovo 3.005 
			 EUSEC RD Congo 4.75 
			 Aceh Monitoring Mission 1.133 
			 (1) For 2004 
		
	
	During recent negotiations on the Inter-Institutional Agreement, the overall CFSP budget for the period 2007-13 was agreed at €1,980 million, although it has not yet been decided how this figure will be divided up each year. There is no set figure for an ESDP budget within this, because funding is allocated at short notice in response to crises.
	Further details on CFSP and ESDP spending can be found on the Council of the EU's website at: http://www.consilium.europa.eu.

Private Members' Bills

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will list those Private Members' Bills in respect of which her Department adopted a policy of neutrality in each Session since 2001-02; and if she will make a statement.

Margaret Beckett: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has not adopted a policy of neutrality on any Private Members' Bills on which it has led since the 2001-02 Session.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Afghanistan

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what account he took of the increase of opium production in 2004-05 in his assessment of the likely success of the alternative livelihoods programmes in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.

Hilary Benn: During my visit to Helmand on 5 June 2006, I announced a new Helmand Agricultural and Rural Development Programme (HARDP), which will run from 2006 to 2009 with a budget of £30 million. The purpose of HARDP is to increase the economic opportunities of the rural poor in Helmand, including those that make a living from growing and harvesting poppy, through integrated support to improve their livelihood options.
	In designing this programme, DFID used extensive UK-funded field studies on the effect of poppy production on households in Helmand. The evidence shows that a variety of forces drive poppy farmers' decisions, including both poverty and the lack of risk of law enforcement. Providing alternative livelihoods opportunities in itself will not reduce poppy cultivation in Helmand. This requires an integrated approach including assistance, law enforcement, better governance and better security. The UK is helping the Government of Afghanistan to deliver such an approach in Helmand. It will take several years to reduce cultivation substantially.

Arms Trade Treaty

Michael Wills: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he plans to take to increase his Department's efforts, resources and capacity to deliver an Arms Trade Treaty.

Gareth Thomas: Ensuring better regulation of the arms trade is essential for conflict prevention and development. As a result, DFID has worked very closely with the FCO and MOD to promote our commitment to an Arms Trade Treaty (ATT). When the first committee of the UN General Assembly meets this year, the UK will aim to secure a UN resolution which will establish a formal UN-based ATT process. Significant progress has already been made, notably the endorsement of an ATT by the EU Council and Commonwealth Heads of Government and other influential countries such as Brazil.
	DFID has contributed to a range of FCO-led initiatives, including the May 2005 meeting of experts at Lancaster House in London and a Geneva meeting of representatives to the Conference on Disarmament in March 2006. DFID and Whitehall partners have also developed a joint strategy to encourage other countries and regional bodies to actively promote the ATT. This focuses on building wider support for a first committee resolution, and includes awareness raising events. DFID will use ministerial visits and dialogue with partner countries, regional and international organisations to generate support for a resolution.
	In parallel DFID is working closely with the FCO and MOD to strengthen controls over the transfer of small arms and light weapons within the existing UN Programme of Action (UN PoA). Small arms and light weapons (SALW) pose a particular challenge for development because they are widely available in developing countries and are the weapon of choice in the majority of conflicts worldwide. We are working internationally with a wide range of partners in advance of the UN PoA Review Conference in June to build support for global guidelines for national controls governing transfers of SALW.

Child Labour

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans he has to support further the International Labour Organisation declaration to end child labour; and if he will prepare a specific millennium development goal to achieve this objective.

Gareth Thomas: The UK is a leading supporter of the International Labour Organisation's (ILO) Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. We have ratified all eight core conventions which it incorporates, included those on the elimination of child labour. DFID is a major funder of ILO's technical cooperation programmes including the 'International Programme for the Elimination of Child Labour'. We welcome the encouraging evidence in the ILO's latest global report which indicates a significant fall in the number of child labourers worldwide, particularly those in the worst forms of child labour.
	We remain committed to the outcome statement of the United Nations World summit review of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG). It acknowledged the importance of decent work and particularly the elimination of the worst forms of child labour in achieving the MDGs. We do not believe this requires the creation of a new MDG.

Child Labour

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions he has had with the TUC on ways to help eradicate child labour.

Gareth Thomas: My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for International Development meets regularly with the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and representatives of trade unions. However they have not recently discussed the eradication of child labour.
	DFID is a strong supporter of the elimination of child labour. Trade unions are important partners in this work. They are, for example, actively involved in the International Labour Organisation's programme for the elimination of child labour in Andhra Pradesh, India, which is funded by DFID. They are also active members of the DFID funded Ethical Trading Initiative. This is an organisation in which trade unions work with business and NGOs to ensure the working conditions in companies supplying the UK meet or exceed international labour standards, including eliminating child labour from the work force.

Cuban Medical Delegation

Colin Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment the Department's officials in Pakistan made of the contribution of the Cuban medical delegation after the October 2005 earthquake in deciding on the UK's contribution; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: The Cuban Field hospital and medical staff filled a critical gap and was highly appreciated. DFID did not conduct a specific assessment of this contribution, but took it and contributions from all other donors into account when deciding on DFID's own contribution. In total, DFID committed more than £54 million to the relief effort, and has pledged a further £70 million to longer term reconstruction.

Cuban Medical Delegation

Colin Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions he has had with the Cuban Government on sharing information drawn from the experience of the Cuban medical delegation in disaster relief.

Gareth Thomas: The Department for International Development has had no discussions with the Cuban Government on the experience of the Cuban medical delegation in disaster relief.

Cuban/Venezuelan Eyesight Care Programme

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the extension to Africa and the poorest people of North America of the Cuban/Venezuelan 'Operation Miracle' eyesight care programme.

Gareth Thomas: DFID has not been involved with the 'Operation Miracle' Eyesight care programme in Latin America and the Caribbean, and has therefore not assessed its extension to Africa. We do not have any programmes in North America and have therefore made no assessment of its extension to the poorest people of North America.
	However, DFID supports a number of programmes which address preventable causes of serious eye disease and blindness. For example, DFID provided £5.6 million through the World Bank for the African Programme for Onchocerciasis Control (APOC) between 2001-02 and 2006-07. DFID also contributed £12.5 million to the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2005 towards its Global Elimination of Blinding Trachoma Programme. We also support civil society organisations such as Vision 2020 through our contribution to the WHO, and acknowledge the role of NGOs in the provision of preventive, treatment and support services for people with visual impairment.

Human Trafficking

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what support his Department is giving to non-governmental organisations abroad who work to prevent and support victims of human trafficking.

Gareth Thomas: The main channel for DFID funding for the prevention and support of victims of human trafficking is the International Labour Organisation (ILO). DFID support includes a commitment of over £8 million to the ILO's programme in the Greater Mekong Region, covering Vietnam, Laos, Thailand and China. The programme supports NGOs and other civil society groups to inform and educate communities about trafficking and to stimulate additional livelihood opportunities. DFID has also provided £1.6 million to a linked project managed by Save the Children. In Burma, DFID has provided £235,000 to support the work of World Vision to raise awareness among community members and community organisations about the risks of trafficking. In Nepal, DFID is providing £258,000 to a Just World Partners' programme to prevent trafficking of young people for prostitution.

Kenya

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the situation in Kenya in relation to international aid and continuing allegations of corruption.

Hilary Benn: DFID has made a thorough assessment of corruption in Kenya and its implications for our assistance. I had frank and direct discussion with President Kibaki about this when I visited Kenya in January. Since then, considerable action, including the removal of three senior Ministers, has taken place in response to public pressure following the release of the Githongo dossier and the release of the Goldenberg Report. This is an encouraging start but Kenyans are calling for more to demonstrate full political accountability. When I met President Kibaki again recently, I stressed the importance of continued progress in the investigations.
	The UK does not provide direct budget support to Kenya precisely because of our concerns about corruption, and all DFID's projects have rigorous safeguards to ensure that our assistance is not being misdirected.
	For example, all our projects work through special, earmarked and fully audited accounts, independent financial management agents or are provided directly to non-government organisations or other direct service delivery. All projects over £1 million are subject to annual reviews and audits, and expenditure is closely tracked. Accountable grants to non-governmental organisations are paid retrospectively only once invoices have been checked and the spending is accounted for. Occasional cases of fraud do still occur, but are investigated immediately and swift and decisive action taken.
	Despite recent announcements that the Dutch Government has frozen any new commitments to Kenya, I do not foresee the corruption allegations making a significant impact on international assistance in the short term. Most of the development agencies, including DFID, believe that just because poor people live in a country where corruption is a major problem, it does not mean that they do not deserve our assistance. In Kenya our assistance is improving many lives. Our support will mean textbooks for each of the 18,500 primary schools in Kenya and 12,000 new classrooms. It will also deliver 11 million insecticide treated bednets, saving 167,000 children's lives. We have provided £23.7 million to drought affected regions of Kenya since December 2005.

Maldives

Denis MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 13 March 2006,  Official Report, column 1927W to the hon. Member for Romford (Andrew Rosindell), on aid expenditure, for what reasons the amounts of aid paid to the Maldives vary from 2000-01 to 2004-05.

Gareth Thomas: DFID has no regular bilateral assistance programme to the Maldives because it is relatively wealthy and our limited finances are better used in poorer countries where needs are greater. However since 2001 support for small developmental programmes has been provided through the Small Grants Scheme (SGS) which, though financed by DFID until 2005, is managed by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The SGS has focused almost exclusively on training awards. These targeted public officials in the health and education sectors and on governance, with a focus on:
	Improving quality of basic education
	Supporting child protection initiatives
	Gender sensitisation issues
	HIV/AIDS awareness
	Targeted assistance to initiatives supporting reform, good governance and democratisation
	The allocation to Maldives has been some £200,000 per year. Disbursements however vary according to the pace of programme implementation, the duration of the contracts, and the type of training or study financed.
	In 2005, following the Asian tsunami, DFID provided £1.7 million to the Maldives for emergency humanitarian assistance. These funds were channelled through the United Nations and the Red Cross.

Maldives

Denis MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what conditionality is applied to his Department's aid to the Maldives in respect of human rights.

Gareth Thomas: DFID does not provide regular bilateral assistance to the Maldives because of their relative wealth. Our limited resources are better used in poorer countries where needs are greater.
	Immediately following the Asian tsunami in 2004 DFID provided some £1.7 million in emergency assistance, channelled largely through the United Nation Development Programme, the United Nations Environmental Programme, the World Health Organisation and the Red Cross. Given the urgent humanitarian nature of this support no conditions were imposed.

Maldives

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the EU donation to the Maldives for financing projects for  (a) the reconstruction and development of the tourist industry and  (b) environmental protection and disaster prevention in areas affected by the tsunami.

Gareth Thomas: DFID provided £1.7 million in emergency assistance to the Maldives immediately after the tsunami. Our support was channelled largely through the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Environmental Programme and the World Health Organisation and the Red Cross. However we do not maintain a regular programme to the islands and have not provided any subsequent assistance. The Maldives are relatively wealthy and our limited resources are better used in poorer countries where needs are greater. DFID has not therefore undertaken an assessment of the effectiveness and impact of individual European Commission programmes.
	However, DFID does monitor overall recovery in the Maldives, drawing on reports produced by the International Monetary Fund and other development agencies. It is encouraging to note that the fishing and tourist industries, the mainstay of the country's economy, have recovered very strongly following the tsunami. Economic growth is expected to be between 12 per cent. and 13 per cent. in 2006, restoring the pre-tsunami growth trend.
	Government and donors are well aware of the difficult environmental challenges facing the Maldives, including the problem of differential settlement of the substructure of the islands following the tsunami. This issue adds to the complexity and expense of the reconstruction task, but is being taken into account when designing recovery programmes.

UN Peacebuilding Commission

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the UN Peacebuilding Commission.

Gareth Thomas: As the UN Peacebuilding Commission is due to have its first meeting at the end of June, we have not yet been able to assess its effectiveness. However, as a member of the Organisational Committee of the Peacebuilding Commission, the UK will be monitoring its effectiveness closely.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Attacks on NHS Premises/Staff

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many attacks on  (a) NHS staff,  (b) patients and  (c) visitors have occurred (i) at GP practices and (ii) in the Province in each of the last five years.

Paul Goggins: The information is not available in the requested format from GP practices, who are independent contractors to the health and personal social services and are not required to provide this information to Health and Social Services Boards. To provide the information from GP practices would require a survey of all GP practices in Northern Ireland and would be at a disproportionate cost.
	The information in respect of NHS staff, patients and visitors in the Province is not held centrally by the Department before 2004 and will take some time to collate from the health and personal social services. I will write to the hon. Member with the information as soon as it is available and place a copy in the Library.

Boundary Commission

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 
	(1)  when the revised recommendations of the Northern Ireland Boundary Commission will be published;
	(2)  when a final decision will be taken on the new boundaries for Northern Ireland Westminster parliamentary constituencies.

David Hanson: The Parliamentary Boundary Commission for Northern Ireland announced their revised recommendations on 18 May 2006.
	They must consider all representations on the revised recommendations received within one month of their publication. Further to this, they will submit their final recommendations to the Secretary of State who must then lay these (with or without modifications) before Parliament for approval.
	The Commission must submit their final report to the Secretary of State by June 2007.

Firearms

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many licensed firearms there were in Northern Ireland in  (a) 1995 and  (b) 2005.

Paul Goggins: It has not been possible to provide information for the same date in each of the two years specified in the question but the Chief Constable informs me that there were 134,027 firearms held on certificate at 31 December 1995 and 144,554 firearms held on certificate at 12 May 2005. The 12 May figure represents a reduction of 6,934 since the Firearms (NI) Order came into force in January 2005.

Foreign Prisoners

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will break down the number of foreign national prisoners detained in Northern Ireland by country of origin.

Paul Goggins: The number of prisoners detained in Northern Ireland Prison Service custody on 1 June who had declared themselves to be foreign nationals (excluding Irish citizens), was 28, with the following breakdown:
	
		
			   Number 
			 Lithuania 5 
			 China 4 
			 Poland 4 
			 Nigeria 2 
			 Portugal 2 
			 South Africa 2 
			 Italy 2 
			 Canada 1 
			 France 1 
			 Belgium 1 
			 Algeria 1 
			 Latvia 1 
			 Egypt 1 
			 East Timor 1

Former Prisons

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has for the former site of  (a) HMP Maze and  (b) HMP Crumlin Road, Belfast; and what planning permissions have been sought.

David Hanson: The Masterplan for the Maze/Long Kesh site was published on 30 May 2006. This shows the vision for development on the site. No planning permissions have as yet been sought. A copy of the Masterplan has been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
	The development of the Crumlin Road Gaol and Girdwood sites will be taken forward on an integrated basis through a master planning approach. This will be subject to full public consultation. Listed building consent and planning approval was granted in March 2004 for the demolition of non-listed buildings and other works at the Gaol. Planning permission for the installation of CCTV cameras at Girdwood was granted in February 2006. Planning applications were submitted in March 2006 for repair and restoration works to the Gaol.

Incorrect Criminal Records

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many residents of Northern Ireland are known to have been incorrectly attributed with criminal records.

Paul Goggins: It is not possible to provide the information requested as this information is not collected.

Joyriding

Alasdair McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 
	(1)  how many convictions for joyriding there have been in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years; how many of these convictions were of repeat offenders; and how many resulted in custodial sentences in each case
	(2)  what average length of prison sentences was given to those convicted of joyriding in Northern Ireland in the last period for which figures are available.

David Hanson: The Criminal Justice (No. 2)(Northern Ireland) Order 2004 provided for the creation of two new offences within section 172 of the Road Traffic (Northern Ireland) Order 1981, to tackle 'joyriding'. These offences are aggravated vehicle-taking (section 172A) and aggravated vehicle-taking causing death or grievous bodily injury (section 172B). Aggravated vehicle-taking is defined as 'a vehicle being taken without consent, which is then driven dangerously or causes an accident which results in injury, damage to property or damage to the vehicle'.
	Statistics relating to these new offences are not yet available; however, the number of convictions for 'taking a motor vehicle without owner consent' (section 172 of Road Traffic (NI) Order 1981) and the number subsequently sentenced to immediate custody are provided below. Due to limitations within current data systems it is not possible to readily determine the number who are repeat offenders.
	Data are collated on a principal offence rule, thus only the most serious offence with which an offender is charged is included.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of convictions for 'taking a motor vehicle without owner's consent' and the number sentenced to immediate custody 1999-2003 
			   Number of convictions  Number sentenced to immediate custody 
			 1999 294 94 
			 2000 328 58 
			 2001 348 50 
			 2002 300 43 
			 2003 351 64 
		
	
	The average length of prison sentence in 2003 for 'taking a motor vehicle without owner consent' (section 172 of Road Traffic (NI) Order 1981) was three and a half months.

Learning Disabilities

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he is taking to improve services for those with a learning disability in the 19 plus age range.

Paul Goggins: The inter-departmental 'Transitions Report', was produced by the Department of Education, the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety and the Department of Employment and Learning in March 2006, setting out over 20 actions and targets to improve the transition process. Key actions include proposals to provide appropriate age-related placements in adult day care centres and the enhancement of further education and training provision.

Ministerial Travel

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the total cost was of departmental Ministers' travel to and from Northern Ireland on official business in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

Peter Hain: All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the rules set out in the 'Ministerial Code' and 'Travel by Ministers', copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House.
	The following table provides the total Ministers and Secretary of State air fare expenditure for the financial years 2003-04 to 2005-06.
	
		
			   Airfares (£) 
			 2003-04 623,770 
			 2004-05 574,172 
			 2005-06 562,401

Moy Park Group

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what  (a) financial and  (b) other support has been provided to the Moy Park Group for each of its Northern Ireland plants by (i) the Department for Enterprise, Trade and Investment, (ii) the Department for Employment and Learning and (iii) Invest Northern Ireland in each of the last five years.

Maria Eagle: Over the past five years financial support of £10,973,752 has been given to Moy Park Group through Invest NL. The plants benefiting from the assistance are located in Craigavon, Dungannon, Moira and Lisnaskea. Within the timescale for the response a separate analysis of grant that each plant has drawn down is not possible. Support has been offered through a variety of direct grant programmes: selective financial assistance, Compete research and development, networking, business improvement in addition to marketing assistance.
	The Department for Employment and Learning supports employers who are expanding their workforce or creating new jobs by providing job brokering services and suitable training programmes where appropriate. The Department has a very close working relationship with the Moy Park Group, which has a high turnover of staff, and services the majority of its vacancies. One company within the Moy Park Group, Feme Foods, employed one employee under the new deal employment options for which the company received a total of £1,950.

National Stadium

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the estimated cost is of the new road layout for a national stadium site at the former HMP Maze site in Lisburn.

David Hanson: The Masterplan published on 30 May recommends that if development goes ahead at the Maze/LongKesh site surrounding infrastructure should be upgraded. A detailed assessment of transport requirements including road infrastructure will be commissioned shortly. This work will show the cost of any improved road networks

Paediatric Cardiology

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many children are awaiting an initial paediatric cardiology assessment in the Province.

Paul Goggins: The information requested is not held centrally and will take some time to collate. I will write to the hon. Member with the relevant information as soon as it becomes available and place a copy in the Library.

Planning Appeals

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many applications from each district council in the Province submitted to the Planning Appeals Commission have been  (a) successful and  (b) unsuccessful in each of the last three years.

David Hanson: The Planning Appeals Commission is a tribunal non-departmental public body, and I understand that the chief commissioner has written to the hon. Member in the following terms:
	"I have been asked to provide you with information requested in the above Parliamentary Question and I have attached a table showing the number of planning appeals allowed or dismissed, by district council, during the period 1 April 2003 to 31 March 2006.
	I would be happy to provide any further information you require arising out of this response or to meet with you to discuss the matter if that would be more suitable".
	
		
			   2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			  District council  Allowed  Dismissed  Allowed  Dismissed  Allowed  Dismissed 
			 Antrim 7 18 15 23 27 36 
			 Ards 17 12 22 19 19 13 
			 Armagh 1 0 1 6 8 6 
			 Ballymena 2 8 10 15 17 28 
			 Ballymoney 4 1 8 2 5 11 
			 Banbridge 2 4 10 13 7 9 
			 Belfast 19 8 20 19 32 27 
			 Carrickfergus 1 1 3 6 5 2 
			 Castlereagh 5 12 6 9 4 3 
			 Coleraine 16 13 27 12 24 28 
			 Cookstown 3 2 1 1 — 3 
			 Craigavon 4 1 3 10 8 9 
			 Derry 12 5 13 15 17 16 
			 Down 39 12 22 14 6 15 
			 Dungannon 1 5 3 3 0 12 
			 Fermanagh 11 16 6 7 12 15 
			 Larne 3 8 — 8 1 2 
			 Limavady 3 4 5 3 7 12 
			 Lisburn 16 19 19 24 12 15 
			 Magherafelt 15 18 7 20 1 12 
			 Moyle — 2 5 3 6 3 
			 Newry and Mourne 6 11 10 14 14 20 
			 Newtownabbey 1 3 5 7 4 3 
			 North Down 11 4 10 11 14 5 
			 Omagh 1 4 1 8 5 2 
			 Strabane 2 7 4 3 4 12

Plastic Bullets (Alternatives)

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the cost has been of  (a) testing,  (b) acquiring and  (c) training police personnel in Northern Ireland in the use of alternatives to plastic bullets in each of the last three years.

Paul Goggins: In response to Patten Recommendations 69 and 70 the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland set up a NIO-led UK Steering Group to lead the research programme into alternative policing approaches towards the management of conflict. The development of the Attenuating Energy Projectile (AEP), as an operational replacement for the L21A1 baton round from 21 June 2005, formed only part of the Group's ongoing activities.
	I am advised that the cost breakdown in terms of testing, acquiring and training police personnel in the use of AEP cannot be provided without disproportionate cost. However, the total cost of replacing the L21Al with the AEP for operational use was estimated to be £291,000. This figure is the only top-line cost available for the project and PSNI cannot readily extrapolate testing, acquiring and training figures for the following reasons: testing was conducted externally as well as internally; acquisition costs would involve various aspects of the procurement process; and training costs were incurred across many PSNI departments.

Police

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 
	(1)  what  (a) discussions and  (b) written communications there have been with the European Commission in respect of Council Directive 2000/78/EC concerning provision for 50:50 recruitment to the Police Service of Northern Ireland;
	(2)  whom he has consulted in respect of the derogation from Council Directive 2000/78/EC to provide for 50:50 recruitment to the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

Paul Goggins: EU Council Directive 2000/78/EC establishes a general framework for combating discrimination in employment and occupation, on the grounds of disability, age, sexual orientation, religion or belief. Article 15.1 of this directive provides a specific derogation that allows for the policy of 50:50 recruitment to the Police Service of Northern Ireland, as legislated for in the Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2000.
	I am advised that the European Commission is duty-bound to review and provide a report on the directive routinely every five years. This procedure involves input from member state Governments on the implementation of the directive in their own country.
	The first five-yearly report on the directive for the United Kingdom was completed in December 2005. As part of the United Kingdom's submission to the European Commission's report, the Northern Ireland Office provided specific input in relation to the working of article 15.1. This process involved discussion and written communication with the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister, United Kingdom Permanent Representative to the European Union and the Office of the Northern Ireland Executive in Brussels.
	I am advised that this report is not a means of pursuing any revisions to the current legislation, therefore no consultation was required.
	The 50:50 recruitment provisions are reviewed every three years, and can only be renewed by a majority vote in both Houses. This is next due in March 2007. The Government remain committed to the use of these temporary provisions as means of achieving 30 per cent. Catholic composition among Regular PSNI Officers by 2010-11. The provisions shall only be renewed, however, following extensive review and consultation with interested parties. It is our intention to commence the review and consultation process shortly.

Police

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many recruits are in training for the Police Service of Northern Ireland; and how many undertook training in each of the last five years.

Paul Goggins: I am advised that the total number of student officers in training as at 31 May 2006 is 291.
	I am also advised that the number of recruits who undertook training in each of the last five years is as follows:
	
		
			   Number appointed 
			 2002 475 
			 2003 448 
			 2004 598 
			 2005 449 
			 2006 (Up to and including 7 May 2006) 188

Portland PR

Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what meetings officials in his Department have had with representatives of the public relations company Portland PR; what contracts Portland PR has with his Department and agencies for which he has responsibility; and what the nature of the contract is in each case.

Peter Hain: The Department does not maintain a central list of such meetings. Civil servants meet many people as part of the process of policy development and business delivery. All such meetings are conducted in accordance with the requirements of the Civil Service Code and Guidance for civil servants on contacts with lobbyists and people outside Government.
	We contacted the various branches and Agencies of the NIO who all confirm that they have had no meetings with representatives of the Public Relations company Portland PR. Portland PR also have no contracts with the Department or its agencies.

Proceeds of Crime Act

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much was recovered in Northern Ireland under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 in each year since 2003.

Paul Goggins: The amount of assets recovered in Northern Ireland under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 in each year since 2003 by the Police Service of Northern Ireland, Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs and the Assets Recovery Agency is detailed in the following tables.
	
		
			  Assets Recovery Agency 
			  £ million 
			  Year( 1)  Assets frozen( 2)  Final orders( 3)  Receipts( 4) 
			 2003-04 3.1 0 0 
			 2004-05 3.7 1.4 0.7 
			 April to December 2005 2.3 0.2 0.5 
			 (1) Figures in relation to the Assets Recovery Agency cover a 12-month period from April to March unless otherwise stated. (2) Assets that have been frozen through a Mareva or Interim Receiving Order.  (3) Recovery orders and settlements in civil recovery cases. (4) Payments received against orders, settlements and payments made on account. 
		
	
	
		
			  Police Service of Northern Ireland 
			  £ 
			   Cash seizures  Confiscation orders 
			 2003 67,805 1,227,359.15 
			 2004 278,972.55 303,462.70 
			 2005 666,956.49 1,006,176.62 
		
	
	
		
			  Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs 
			  £ 
			   Cash seizures  Confiscation orders 
			 2003 50,961.36 0 
			 2004 15,800 0 
			 2005 11,101 0

Public Bodies

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the former party affiliation is of the serving chair of each public body in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: Those appointed to public bodies in Northern Ireland, including chairpersons, are not required to declare if they are affiliated to a political party. However, they are asked to declare if they have undertaken any significant political activity in the five years prior to the date of their application.
	A list of chairpersons currently serving on public bodies in Northern Ireland, who, at the time of their application, declared that they had undertaken political activity .in the preceding five years, is set out in Table 1.
	Appointments are made solely on merit, political activity is recorded for monitoring purposes only and plays no part in the selection process.
	An overview of the political activity of both applicants and appointees to bodies sponsored by Northern Ireland's eleven government departments can be found in the Public Appointments Annual Report, and similar details in respect of NIO sponsored bodies is included in the NIO Departmental Report. Copies of the latest versions of both these reports are available from the Library of the House and can be found on the internet at: www.ofmdfmni.gov.uk/public-appointments and www.nio.gov.uk/niodepartmentalreport2006.pdf, respectively.
	
		
			  Table 1:Current chairs of public bodies who declared political activity at the time of their application 
			  Name  Public body  Party for which political activity was declared 
			 David Aiken Omagh Further Education College DUP 
			 Fionnuala Cook Southern Health and Social Services Board Alliance 
			 Thomas Creighton Northern Health and Social Services Council UUP 
			 Isaac Hanna Newry and Kilkeel Further Education College UUP 
			 Colm Kavanagh Northern Ireland Council for Integrated Education Alliance 
			 Right hon. Michael Martin MP(1) Boundary Commission for Northern Ireland Labour Party 
			 Tom McGrath Northern Ireland Tourist Board UUP 
			 Monica McWilliams Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission Northern Ireland Women's Coalition 
			 Roger Poole Parades Commission for Northern Ireland Labour Party 
			 Jim Rodgers Belfast Education and Library Board UUP 
			 (1)Chair of the Boundary Commission must be the Speaker of the House of Commons

Saville Inquiry

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what rules governed the ability of legal representatives appointed to the Saville Inquiry to take on other legally-aided work following their appointment.

David Hanson: No restrictions were placed on the legal representatives acting for Interested Parties to the Bloody Sunday Inquiry to take on other separately funded work. The time devoted to the Inquiry varied among individuals and legal representatives were free to accept other instructions that their workload allowed.

Sentencing

Patrick Cormack: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 19 April 2006,  Official Report, column 728W, on sentencing (averages), what the average sentence passed for those convicted of offences under  (a) section 170 of the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979 and  (b) section 5(3) of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 in Northern Ireland was over the last five years.

Paul Goggins: Table 1 provides the average sentence lengths for those convicted and given immediate custody under section 170 of the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979 and section 5(3) of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.
	Figures cover the calendar years 1999 to 2003; data beyond 2003 are not yet available.
	
		
			  Table 1: Average sentence lengths in months 1999-2003 
			   Section 170 Customs and Excise Management Act 1979  Section 5(3) Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 
			   Average sentence length (months)  Average sentence length (months) 
			 1999 28 24 
			 2000 8 26 
			 2001 8 26 
			 2002 0 22 
			 2003 30 29

Sentencing

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to review current guidelines for sentencing handed down to young adults who carry out rapes in the Province.

David Hanson: The Government do not issue guidelines on sentencing for any offence in Northern Ireland. Sentencing is entirely a matter for the independent Courts based on case law and precedent. The role of the Government is to provide the legislative framework within which the Courts operate.
	To that end the Government are planning a public consultation which will review the criminal law in relation to sexual offences. This consultation will, among other things, propose several new sexual offences and a new definition of the offence of rape. It will also include proposals on the definition of consent and the capacity to consent.

Sex Crimes

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people were convicted of  (a) rape and  (b) sexual assault in Northern Ireland in each of the last 10 years; and how many rapes and sexual assaults were reported to the police in this period.

David Hanson: I am aware of and share concerns about the very low number of rapes reported to the police that result in prosecutions. I shall be including this issue as part of the forthcoming consultation on sexual offences legislation which I expect to initiate shortly.
	Table 1 provides the number of convictions for rape, attempted rape, indecent assault and all other sexual offences and covers the calendar years 1994 to 2003. Data for 2004 will be available by August 2006. Data are collated on the principal offence rule, thus only the most serious offence for which an offender is charged is included.
	Table 2 provides the number of rape, attempted rape, indecent assault and other sexual offences recorded by the police for the period 1994 to 2005-06. These figures are published in "A Commentary on Northern Ireland Crime Statistics 2004" (available at www.nio.gov.uk) and the PSNI statistical report "Recorded Crime and Clearances 2005/06" (available on www.psni.police.uk).
	It should be noted that statistics in Table 1 are offender-based while figures in Table 2 are offence-based.
	
		
			  Table 1: Convictions for rape, attempted rape and other sexual assaults 1994-2003 
			   Rape  Attempted rape( 1)  Indecent assault( 2)  Other sexual offences  Total 
			 1994 11 4 98 35 148 
			 1995 19 5 103 55 182 
			 1996 13 2 108 61 184 
			 1997 17 4 87 22 130 
			 1998 17 1 71 39 128 
			 1999 5 3 61 21 90 
			 2000 7 3 88 32 130 
			 2001 12 5 80 15 112 
			 2002 8 2 55 19 84 
			 2003 8 2 66 32 108 
			 (1 )Includes aiding and abetting rape and assault with intent to rape. (2 )Includes indecent assault on female, indecent assault on male, indecent assault on female child and indecent assault on male child.   Source:  Statistics and Research Branch, Northern Ireland Office. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Offences of rape, attempted rape and other sexual assaults recorded by the police 1994 to 2005-06 
			   Rape  Attempted rape  Indecent assault  Other sexual offences( 1)  Total 
			 1994 168 40 698 427 1,333 
			 1995 229 30 932 488 1,679 
			 1996 264 28 991 462 1,745 
			 1997 268 26 793 357 1,444 
			 1998-99 284 40 878 403 1,605 
			 1999-2000 279 32 714 308 1,333 
			 2000-01 209 23 663 281 1,176 
			 2001-02 252 40 677 462 1,431 
			 2002-03 317 40 633 479 1,469 
			 2003-04 354 41 834 551 1,780 
			 2004-05 347 33 746 560 1,686 
			 2005-06 356 35 808 512 1,711 
			 (1 )From 1998-99 onwards, 'Other sexual offences' includes indecent exposure.   Source:  Central Statistics Unit, PSNI

Sex Crimes

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many convicted rapists in Northern Ireland have committed the same offence after being released.

David Hanson: Statistics from the adult (17 years and older) reconviction dataset indicate that none of the sexual offenders contained in the 2000 and 2001 custody discharge cohorts who were convicted of rape as their principal offence were subsequently reconvicted of the same offence. Reconviction data are not yet available in respect of those convicted after 2001.
	It should be noted that the adult reconviction dataset only counts the first discharge from prison for an individual in that year and is based on the principal offence rule, thus only the most serious offence with which an offender is charged is included.

Stormont

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many civilian security staff are deployed at the Northern Ireland Assembly buildings when it is  (a) sitting and  (b) suspended.

David Hanson: 71 and 46 respectively.

Tennis

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress the Sports Council for Northern Ireland has made in meeting the requests of young tennis players who wish to play under the auspicies of United Kingdom tennis authorities rather than the Irish equivalent.

Maria Eagle: The Sports Council for Northern Ireland (SCNI) has been in regular contact, over the past 12 months, with Tennis Ireland and the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA), the governing bodies of tennis on the island of Ireland and of Great Britain respectively, regarding the requests of young tennis players who wish to play under the auspices of Great Britain tennis authorities rather than the Irish equivalent.
	As a result of these contacts, Tennis Ireland has agreed to meet with relevant players' representatives to discuss a range of concerns including the sport's current affiliation arrangements. The LTA has also confirmed that any British player who lives in Northern Ireland has the right to play for GB subject to satisfying the qualification rules of the International Tennis Federation relating to nationality, holding of a passport, residency and previous representation.

CCTV Coverage (Londonderry)

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 6 February 2006,  Official Report, column 899W, on CCTV coverage (Londonderry), when CCTV coverage at the Irish Street/Top of the Hill interface will be provided.

David Hanson: The funding of CCTV cameras located at interface areas is an operational matter for PSNI.

UVF Prisoners

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many Ulster Volunteer Force prisoners were released early as a result of the Northern Ireland (Sentences) Act 1998; how many of those ex-prisoners have  (a) subsequently reoffended and  (b) had their licences revoked; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: 67 prisoners with perceived UVF affiliations were released 'early' as a result of the Northern Ireland (Sentences) Act 1998. Of these, three have subsequently reoffended and had their licences revoked as a result. A fourth UVF prisoner had his licence revoked because the Secretary of State believed that he had broken the conditions of his licence and had become a danger to the public as a consequence.

UVF Prisoners

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many prisoners who have declared themselves to be members of the Ulster Volunteer Force are held as  (a) convicted and  (b) remand prisoners in Northern Ireland.

Paul Goggins: There are no prisoners in Northern Ireland, either sentenced or remand, who have declared themselves to be members of the Ulster Volunteer Force. However, nine prisoners are currently held in separated conditions at Maghaberry prison, five of whom are sentenced and four on remand, who are perceived to have UVF affiliations.

Violent and Sexual Offenders

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he plans to introduce a pilot electronic monitoring scheme for curfews put in place in Northern Ireland for those considered to be high risk violent or sexual offenders.

David Hanson: The use of electronic monitoring is under consideration in the current review of the sentencing framework in Northern Ireland. No decisions have yet been made.
	I will make an announcement in due course.

Weapons

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many violent incidences involving the use of a knife occurred in Northern Ireland in each of the last two years, broken down by seriousness of injury.

David Hanson: The following table provides information on knife crime statistics over the past 2 years. The incidents are sorted by the recorded crime categories used by the police. While it is known that a knife was used in all incidents recorded below, it is not possible to indicate how the knife was used.
	Clearly the categories of murder and attempted murder refer to the most serious incidents. While the overall incidence of use of a knife in crime rose last year, the numbers of murders and attempted murders reduced.
	I am hopeful that the knife crime campaign launched this week will impact on these figures and that we will see a reduction in knife related crimes this year.
	
		
			  Crime type  2004-05  2005-06 
			 Class 1. Offences against the Person 394 430 
			 Murder 10 8 
			 Attempted murder 32 27 
			 Assaults 214 320 
			  
			 Class 2. Sexual offences 4 13 
			  
			 Class 3. Burglary 26 19 
			 Class 4. Robbery 265 359 
			  
			 Class 5. Theft 19 22 
			  
			 Class 6. Fraud and forgery 0 0 
			  
			 Class 7. Criminal damage 161 121 
			  
			 Class 8. Offences against the state 131 165 
			 Possessing offensive weapon 131 165 
			  
			 Class 9. Other notifiable offences 0 1 
			 Total crime 1,000 1,130

Weapons

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has for amnesties for handing in  (a) bladed and  (b) blunt weapons in Northern Ireland.

David Hanson: The campaign to tackle knife crime in Northern Ireland, including the introduction of a three week amnesty was launched on Wednesday 24 May. This received significant attention from all the main media outlets in Northern Ireland. A list of the amenity sites where bins for collection of knives are situated was provided to the media and the police have established a helpline to provide information to anyone who wishes to surrender a knife. While the amnesty will run for a period of three weeks initially, this can be extended if it is successful, and it can be re-introduced.
	I would urge anyone who does not have a legitimate reason for having a knife, to take this opportunity to surrender it.
	I have no plans to hold an amnesty for blunt weapons but am open to consideration.

WALES

A5

David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the likely effects on road traffic between England and Ireland of the proposed closure of the A5 between Ty Nant and Dinmael; and what discussions he has had with Welsh Assembly Ministers on this matter.

Peter Hain: I have made no such assessment. Andrew Davies, the Welsh Assembly Government Minister for Enterprise, Innovation and Networks has explained that measures are being urgently considered to minimize the impact of the closure, including the possibility of re-opening the old A5 to restricted traffic.

Bonuses

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many non-pensionable bonuses were awarded to members of his staff in each of the last three years; and at what total cost.

Peter Hain: This information is not held centrally and obtaining it could be achieved only at disproportionate cost.

Eid-Ul-Adha

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many staff from his Department attended the Civil Service Islamic Society Eid-Ul-Adha event in London in 2005; and what the total cost was to his Department of their attendance.

Peter Hain: My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster will write to the hon. Member with details of the Civil Service Islamic Society Eid-UI-Adha event. Copies of her letter will be placed in the Library.

Pensions

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many and what percentage of staff in his Department are making additional voluntary contributions to their pension.

Peter Hain: Members of the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme (PCSPS) can pay additional contributions to top up their pension either through the Civil Service Additional Voluntary Contributions Scheme (CSAVCS), a money purchase arrangement, or by buying added years of service in the PCSPS. As an alternative to membership of the PCSPS recruits from 1 October 2002 have been able to join a stakeholder arrangement, the partnership pension account.
	The number and percentage of staff in the department who are making additional voluntary contributions to their pension as at 31 May are shown in the following table.
	
		
			   Number  Percentage 
			 CSAVCS 1 1 .7 
			 Added years 10 16.7 
			 Partnership 4 6.7

Promotion Boards

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what promotion boards have been held in his Department in each of the last five years.

Peter Hain: The Wales Office does not hold promotion boards.
	Staff are recruited to the Wales Office in line with the policy set out at paragraph 5.6 of the departmental annual report 2006 Cm 6835 (also available on our website at www.walesoffice.gov.uk).

Sickness Absence

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many staff in his Department have had  (a) five or more,  (b) four,  (c) three and  (d) two periods of sick leave of less than five days in each of the last three years.

Peter Hain: The Wales Office does not collect this information in this way, and obtaining this information could only be achieved at disproportionate cost.

Staff Surveys

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many staff surveys have been conducted in his Department in each of the last three years.

Peter Hain: The Wales Office is a small Department and its staff are entitled to take part in staff surveys conducted by the DCA.
	Further to the DCA staff survey, the Wales Office conducted its own staff survey for the first time earlier this year.

Vehicle Sharing

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what incentives his Department offers to encourage staff to share vehicles when travelling to work.

Peter Hain: The Wales Office has no incentive schemes to encourage staff to share vehicles to travel to work.
	Around three-quarters of staff do not use their own vehicles to travel to work, travelling instead by alternative methods, including public transport and bicycle.

CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Bankruptcies

Richard Spring: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many people have been declared bankrupt in Suffolk in each year since 1997.

Harriet Harman: A bankruptcy order is made on the petition of the debtor or one of his creditors when the court is satisfied that there is no prospect of the debt being paid. The following table shows the number of bankruptcy orders made at either Bury St. Edmunds or Ipswich county courts since 1998, the earliest year for which statistics are available. Bury St. Edmunds and Ipswich are the only two county courts in Suffolk which deal with insolvency matters.
	Bankruptcy petitions should be presented in the court that deals with the area where the debtor has lived or traded for the longest period in the previous six months. However, the insolvency jurisdictions of particular county courts are not directly comparable with standard geographies such as counties or parliamentary constituencies. For these reasons, figures shown in the table will not be an exact measure of bankruptcies in Suffolk.
	
		
			  Number of bankruptcy orders made at Bury St. Edmunds or Ipswich county courts, 1998-2005 
			   Number of bankruptcy orders made in Bury St. Edmunds county court  Number of bankruptcy orders made in Ipswich county court  Total for Bury St. Edmunds and Ipswich county courts 
			 1998 87 191 278 
			 1999 80 212 292 
			 2000 81 191 272 
			 2001 92 179 271 
			 2002 128 186 314 
			 2003 122 274 396 
			 2004 142 289 431 
			 2005 217 337 554 
			  Source:  Insolvency Service

Coroner Reform Programme

Robert Walter: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what progress has been made regarding the time scale for the coroner reform programme; and when she expects the Family Charter to be available.

Harriet Harman: A draft Bill on reform of the coroner system will be published very shortly. A draft of the Charter for Bereaved People (as it is now known) will be published alongside the draft Bill, and will be similarly subject to scrutiny and consultation. A Bill will be introduced when parliamentary time allows.

Equal Pay

Katy Clark: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many  (a) women and  (b) men are employed in the Department; what the average pay was for (i) women and (ii) men in the Department in (1) 1997 and (2) 2006; what women's average pay is as a percentage of men's average pay; and how many (A) women and (B) men the Department employed in each of the last five years, broken down by grade.

Bridget Prentice: In March 2006 there were  (a) 9,121 women and (b) 4,908 men employed in the DCA, excluding the magistrates courts service (MCS). Following the implementation of the 2005 pay award the average full-time equivalent salary for (i) women was £19,142 and for (ii) men was £21,276. Furthermore in March 2006 there were  (a) 8,974 women and  (b) 3,621 men employed by the MCS in England and Wales. The MCS became part of the DCA in April 2005 and are employed on a wide variety of terms and conditions. The average full-time equivalent salary for (i) women was £20,202 and for (ii) men was £23,689 in the MCS.
	On this basis, in March 2006, the average female full-time equivalent salary represents 89 per cent. of the average male salary for staff on DCA terms and conditions and 85 per cent. of the average male salary for staff in the magistrates courts service. These figures are for all grades below SCS. Comparative figures from 1997 could only be provided at a disproportionate cost.
	The details for (1) Women and (2) men employed by the DCA (excluding the MCS) in each of the last five years broken down by grade is contained in the table shown at Appendix A. Only full-time equivalent details are available for 2001 and 2002.
	The equivalent information from the magistrates courts service which became part of the DCA in April 2005 is not maintained in a format which enables this data to be easily extracted and the information requested can therefore only be provided at a disproportionate cost for years prior to 2005. The information for 2005 is contained in the table at Appendix B and is broken down according to £5000 pay bands as there is no comparable grading system.
	
		
			  Appendix A: DCA, (former court service, PGO and Wales Office) 1 April 2005 
			   Headcount  
			   Full-time staff  Part-time staff  Full-time equivalent 
			  Responsibility level  Male  Female  Total  Male  Female  Total  Male  Female  Total 
			 SCS level 99.0 52.0 151.0 11.0 8.0 19.0 103.6 55.7 158.9 
			 Grade 6 105.0 61.0 166.0 8.0 11.0 19.0 107.3 66.2 173.5 
			 Grade 7 283.0 224.0 507.0 6.0 39.0 45.0 286.6 253.1 539.7 
			 SEO 325.0 290.0 615.0 7.0 48.0 55.0 330.1 331.6 661.7 
			 HEO 683.0 877.0 1,560.0 16.0 130.0 146.0 693.9 967.6 1,661.5 
			 EO 853.0 1,426.0 2,279.0 16.0 411.0 427.0 862.8 1,701.2 2,564.0 
			 AO 1,554.0 2,742.0 4,296.0 82.0 1,063.0 1,145.0 1,605.0 3,375.0 4,980.0 
			 AA 532.0 674.0 1,206.0 230.0 645.0 875.0 653.2 1,070.0 1,723.2 
			 Total 4,434.0 6,346.0 10,780.0 376.0 2,355.0 2,731.0 4,642.5 7,020.4 12,462.5 
		
	
	
		
			  DCA, (former court service, PGO and Wales Office) 1 April 2004 
			   Headcount  
			   Full-time staff  Part-time staff  Full-time equivalent 
			  Responsibility level  Male  Female  Total  Male  Female  Total  Male  Female  Total 
			 SCS level 89.0 31.0 120.0 1.0 9.0 10.0 89.4 34.3 123.7 
			 Grade 6 78.0 49.0 127.0 3.0 8.0 11.0 80.5 54.5 135.0 
			 Grade 7 260.0 175.0 435.0 6.0 37.0 43.0 263.8 200.8 464.6 
			 SEO 295.0 263.0 558.0 2.0 35.0 37.0 296.4 287.4 583.8 
			 HEO 638.0 I 855.0 1,493.0 12.0 124.0 136.0 645.9 940.4 1,586.3 
			 EO 817.0 1,337.0 2,154.0 10.0 366.0 376.0 824.4 1,581.0 2,405.0 
			 AO 1,552.0 2,611.0 4,163.0 48.0 990.0 1,038.0 1,581.5 3,237.9 4,818.4 
			 AA 605.0 782.0 1,387.0 140.0 505.0 645.0 700.4 1,114.0 1,814.4 
			 Total 4,334.0 6,103.0 10,437.0 222.0 2,0740 2,296.0 4,482.3 7,450.3 11,931.2 
		
	
	
		
			  LCD( 1) , Court service and PGO—1 April 2003 
			   Headcount  
			   Full-time staff  Part-time staff  Full-time equivalent 
			  Responsibility level  Male  Female  Total  Male  Female  Total  Male  Female  Total 
			 SCS level 83.0 21.0 104.0 1.0 4.0 5.0 83.4 23.6 107.0 
			 Grade 6 65.0 41.0 106.0 2.0 7.0 9.0 66.4 46.0 112.4 
			 Grade 7 224.0 156.0 380.0 3.0 32.0 35.0 224.1 176.9 401.0 
			 SEO 279.0 238.0 517.0 2.0 36.0 38.0 280.4 261.3 541.7 
			 HEO 632.0 769.0 1,401.0 10.0 115.0 125.0 638.5 847.7 1,486.2 
			 EO 826.0 1,364.0 2,190.0 9.0 320.0 329.0 832.7 3,256.7 4,089.4 
			 AO 1,521.0 2,583.0 4,104.0 51.0 976.0 1,027.0 1,552.0 3,190.2 4,742.2 
			 AA 639.0 877.0 1,516.0 135.0 509.0 644.0 731.0 1,212.5 1,943.5 
			 Total 4,269.0 6,049.0 10,318.0 213.0 1,999.0 2,212.0 4,408.5 9,014.9 13,423.4 
		
	
	
		
			  LCD( 2) , Court service and PGO—1 April 2002( 1) 
			   Headcount  
			   Full-time staff  Part-time staff  Full-time equivalent 
			  Responsibility level  Male  Female  Total  Male  Female  Total  Male  Female  Total 
			 SCS level — — — — — — 74.61 22.62 97.23 
			 Grade 6 — — — — — — 47.00 32.67 79.67 
			 Grade 7 — — — — — — 140.68 120.59 261.27 
			 SEO — — — — — — 238.39 211.00 449.39 
			 HEO — — — — — — 463.84 650.44 1,114.28 
			 EO level — — — — — — 964.94 1,686.15 2,651.09 
			 AO — — — — — — 1,596.49 3,181.57 4,778.06 
			 AA — — — — — — 685.09 1,206.75 1,891.84 
			 Total — — — — — — 4,211 7,112 11,323 
		
	
	
		
			  LCD( 1) , court service and PGO—1 April 2001( 2) 
			   Headcount  
			   Full-time staff  Part-time staff  Full-time equivalent 
			  Responsibility level  Male  Female  Total  Male  Female  Total  Male  Female  Total 
			 SCS level — — — — — — 62.41 20.56 82.97 
			 Grade 6 — — — — — — 56.75 24.35 81.10 
			 Grade 7 — — — — — — 137.15 108.81 245.96 
			 SEO — — — — — — 222.00 180.33 402.33 
			 HEO — — — — — — 438,05 588.01 1,026.06 
			 EG — — — — — — 980.66 1,623.93 2,604.59 
			 AO — — — — — — 1,540.93 3,093.90 4,634.83 
			 AA — — — — — — 172,13. 207.90 380.03 
			 Total — — — — — — 3,610.08 5,847.79 9,467.87 
			 (1 )Lord Chancellor's Department (LCD) prior to 2003  (2) 2001 and 2002 figures do not provide a breakdown between full and part-time employees. 
		
	
	
		
			  Appendix B: Magistrates courts service staff by Gender 2005 
			   Full-time   Part-time   
			  Data  Female  Male  Full-time total  Female  Male  Part-time total  Grand total 
			  Sum of Up to:
			 £10,000 5 3 8 2 0 2 10 
			 £10,001-£15,000 2,106 784 2,890 1,501 527 2,028 4,918 
			 £15,001-£20,000 1,740 801 2,541 654 71 725 3,266 
			 £20,001-£25,000 867 292 1,159 212 11 223 1,382 
			 £25,001-£30,000 356 149 505 63 3 66 571 
			 £30,001-£35,000 374 194 568 113 10 123 691 
			 £35,001-£40,000 418 306 724 170 10 180 904 
			 £40,001-£45,000 141 159 300 44 3 47 347 
			 £45,001-£50,000 62 92 154 21 3 24 178 
			 £50,001-£55,000 48 61 109 3 2 5 114 
			 £55,001-£60,000 23 39 62 4 0 4 66 
			 £60,001-£65,000 23 35 58 0 0 0 58 
			 £65,001-£70,000 7 17 24 1 0 1 25 
			 £70,001-£75,000 7 15 22 0 0 0 22 
			 £75,001 and above 9 34 43 0 0 0 43 
			  6,186 2,981 9,167 2,788 640 3,428 12,595

HEALTH

Abortions

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions she has had with representatives of the medical profession about the interpretation by them of section one of the Abortion Act 1967; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 28 March 2006,  Official Report, column 947W.

Abortions

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the Government's progress in reducing the number of abortions in England.

Caroline Flint: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 21 March 2006,  Official Report, column 250W.

Abortions

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will amend the abortion notification form to provide for the inclusion of the method of abortion known as partial birth abortion; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 29 March 2006,  Official Report, column 1056W.

Adverse Drug Reactions

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the Answer of 15 May 2006,  Official Report, columns 736-7W on adverse drug reactions, when she expects the redesign of the drug safety monitoring database to be completed.

Andy Burnham: Reports of suspected adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are collected by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the commission on human medicines through the spontaneous reporting scheme, the yellow card scheme.
	The MHRA is currently implementing a major upgrade of the drug safety monitoring database and data reporting systems. The MHRA's redesigned drug safety monitoring database was deployed on 31 May 2006.

Adverse Drug Reactions

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent research she has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on the number of people hospitalised each year due to adverse reactions to (i) prescribed and (ii) unprescribed drugs; and if she will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: The most recent estimate of the burden of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) in the United Kingdom (UK) comes from a study published in the  British Medical Journal in July 2004. The study conducted in two large hospitals in Merseyside, suggested that ADRs account for one in 16 hospital admissions. This is a similar estimate to a number of studies worldwide, including figures from the United States. The study did not differentiate between prescribed and unprescribed medicines; however, the majority of ADRs were associated with prescribed medicines.
	This study highlights the importance of effective systems for monitoring and responding to issues relating to the safety of medicines, a process called pharmacovigilance. This study, which was funded by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), underlines the MHRA's commitment to improving the evidence base for pharmacovigilance in the UK. As part of this commitment to improving pharmacovigilance, the MHRA is working to strengthen and widen access to the yellow card scheme for reporting suspected ADRs. Access has recently been widened to allow patients to report under a pilot reporting scheme.

Assisted Dying for the Terminally Ill Bill

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what recent representations she has received about the Assisted Dying for the Terminally Ill Bill [Lords]; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  if she will make it her policy to remain neutral on the Assisted Dying for the Terminally Ill Bill [Lords]; and if she will make a statement;
	(3)  if she will list the  (a) individuals,  (b) Ministers and  (c) organisations she has consulted whilst developing her current policy towards the Assisted Dying for the Terminally Ill Bill [Lords]; if she will place in the Library responses received by her Department; and if she will make a statement;
	(4)  what  (a) representations she has received from and  (b) discussions her Department has had with the organisation Care Not Killing; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: The Assisted Dying for the Terminally Ill Bill involves issues of conscience and the Government's stance is to remain neutral and to listen to the debate. It is appropriate that Parliament should lead on debates of this nature and allow all shades of opinion to be heard. As with all legislation, the Government's position has been agreed with the legislative programme committee.
	The Department has received around 1,380 letters, emails and postcards about the Bill from the public and organisations since the beginning of March 2006 expressing a range of views and opinions. The petition that the Care Not Killing alliance submitted to the Prime Minister has been passed to the Department and officials have been provided with a list of the alliance's member organisations.

Boron

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what steps she proposes to take to ensure that boron is included on the list of ingredients permitted for use under the provisions of the Food Supplements Directive; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  when she next expects the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health to discuss the inclusion of boron on the list of ingredients permitted for use under the provisions of the Food Supplements Directive; who will represent the United Kingdom at that meeting; and what her objectives are for the outcome of those discussions.

Caroline Flint: Representations have already been made to the European Commission and the German authorities regarding the addition of the mineral boron to the positive lists of the annexes to the Food Supplements Directive 2002/46/EC.
	The European Commission has not set a date for the next meeting of the standing committee on the food chain and animal health to discuss the inclusion of boron on the list of ingredients permitted for use under the provisions of the food supplements directive. Officials of the Food Standards Agency will represent the United Kingdom at the meeting when announced. The objective for the meeting would be to support the addition of boron to the annexes of the food supplements directive to ensure the continued availability of this mineral in food supplements.

Cheltenham General Hospital

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost was of building and opening the St. Paul's Maternity Unit in Cheltenham General hospital; and if she will make a statement on its future.

Caroline Flint: The St. Paul's Wing was officially opened in 1997 at a cost of £6 million.

Coeliac Disease

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what action her Department is taking to ensure that general practitioners are aware of coeliac disease and are able to diagnose it;
	(2)  what steps her Department is taking to increase awareness of coeliac disease.

Ivan Lewis: Patients are able to access a health encyclopaedia on the NHS Direct online website (www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk) which contains detailed information on a range of health conditions, including coeliac disease. The Prodigy website (www.prodigy.nhs.uk), used by health professionals, also contains specific information on this disease.
	Diagnosis of coeliac disease can be difficult for general practitioners as the symptoms are common to many other conditions. However, a blood test and gut biopsy can be used to confirm coeliac disease.

Continuing Care

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether individuals who are receiving NHS continuing care, and whose primary need is a health need under the current criteria, will continue to receive continuing care if they are not eligible under the new criteria.

Ivan Lewis: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 11 May 2006,  Official Report, column 550W.

Dentistry

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions her Department has had with  (a) dentists and  (b) dental laboratories on the impact of the new dental contract on the number of custom-made dental appliances being ordered for NHS patients; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: The Department has established an implementation review group, which includes representatives of dentists and dental laboratories, to monitor the impact of the dental reforms introduced on 1 April. The group will be able to review information on the number of courses of treatment that include the fitting of an appliance.

Dentistry

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the operation of illegal dentistry in England.

Rosie Winterton: All dentists, dental hygienists and dental therapists have to be registered with the General Dental Council (GDC) to practise dentistry in the United Kingdom.
	The Dentists Act 1984 (Amendment) Order 2005 empowered the GDC to permit additional classes of dental care professionals to undertake the practice of dentistry. At its meeting on 7 December 2005, the GDC agreed that appropriately qualified clinical dental technicians (CDTs) should be registered and allowed to see edentulous patients, without prior review by a dentist, for the purpose of supplying and maintaining complete dentures. The Department welcomes this initiative since it will improve patient choice by legitimising the aspirations of CDTs, or denturists as they are also known, to fit and supply full dentures.

Dentistry

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dental laboratories there were in England  (a) on 31 March 2006 and  (b) at the latest date for which figures are available.

Rosie Winterton: The information available centrally is for the United Kingdom. Between 31 March and 26 May 2006 the number of dental laboratories registered under the medical devices directive increased from 3,148 to 3,150. Proprietors of laboratories do not always tell the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulation Agency when they cease trading.

Departmental Bills (Amendments)

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the occasions when an amendment has been moved by  (a) a Labour backbencher,  (b) an Opposition backbencher and  (c) an Opposition front bench spokesman to a Bill sponsored by her Department that has been accepted by her Department during the current session; and if she will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The Department has sponsored the following Bills during the current session:
	The NHS Redress Bill
	The Health Bill
	Information on amendments moved and accepted during the committee and report stages on these Bills is published in the  Official Report.

Departmental Expenditure

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the 10 non-public sector entities that have received the largest total sum of payments from the Department in each of the last 5 years.

Ivan Lewis: The 10 non-public sector entities that have received the largest total sum of payments from the Department are shown in the following table.
	 2002-03
	Powderject Technogies Ltd.
	CAS Services Ltd.
	Chessington Computer Centre
	TOPPS England
	Fujitsu Services Ltd.
	Consignia CRS
	CSC Computer Sciences Ltd.
	AXA Assistance (UK) Ltd.
	BTPLC
	CW Travel UK Ltd.
	 2003-04
	Catalyst
	CAS Services Ltd.
	Chessington Computer Centre
	TOPPS England
	Kellogg Brown & Root Ltd.
	Consignia CRS
	CSC Computer Sciences Ltd.
	Syntegra
	Alien & Overy
	CW Travel UK Ltd.
	 2004-05
	Catalyst Healthcare Leeds Ltd.
	BT Syntegra
	Skipton Fund Ltd.
	TOPPS England
	Oracle Corporation UK Ltd.
	Accenture PLC
	CSC Computer Sciences Ltd.
	Atos Origin IT SVS UK Ltd.
	Cable and Wireless Communication
	Charles Russell
	 2005-06
	Catalyst Healthcare Leeds Ltd.
	BT Syntegra
	BT Global Services Solutions
	TOPPS England
	McKesson Information Solutions
	ISoft PLC
	CSC Computer Sciences Ltd.
	Atos Origin IT SVS UK Ltd.
	Specialist Computer Centres
	Trustmarque Solutions Ltd.
	The information for 2001-02 is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin

Geoffrey Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment her Department has made of the effect of the discontinuation of the Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin on the ability of doctors to access independent information about the clinical effectiveness of various treatments; and if she will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: Doctors and other prescribers have access to a wide variety of information resources to support their prescribing. These include the British National Formularies, advice and training from the National Prescribing Centre, guidance from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, the National Electronic Library for Health, the various on-line databases and reference resources, such as Medline, and various academic and professional journals.

Elderly Care

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was allocated to services for the elderly in the South West region in 2005-06.

Caroline Flint: Revenue allocations are made to primary care trusts (PCTs) on the basis of the relative needs of their populations. Allocations are made on a fair funding formula that directs funding to those in greatest need.
	A principal cause in the variation in the level of demand for health services is the age structure of the population. The very young and the elderly, whose populations are not evenly distributed throughout the country, tend to make more use of health services than the rest of the population. The funding formula is age weighted to take account of the varying elements of the health need associated with the age structure of local populations.
	Once allocations have been made, it is for PCTs to commission services based on their local populations.
	Council funding for adult social services is derived from a number of sources: a share of overall formula grant allocated by the Department for Communication and Local Government, specific grants distributed by the Department, revenue from council tax, income from fees and charges and local decision making.
	The greater part of Government funding for adult social care is allocated to councils without conditions. Local authorities have a significant degree of flexibility to manage and direct their resources in accordance with local priorities, and the needs of the communities to which they are accountable. It is not therefore possible to identify the proportion of allocated funding that is directly attributable to services for the elderly in the South West region.

Enzyme Disorders

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what services are available to those suffering from enzyme disorders.

Ivan Lewis: Local health bodies are able to provide a wide range of health and social care services specifically tailored to the individual needs of those living with enzyme disorders. These services include:
	prompt diagnosis;
	providing information and support for sufferers, and their carers and families;
	person-centred care and choice;
	care planning and integrated service provision involving different agencies; and
	rehabilitation and support in the community.

Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Avon Strategic Health Authority

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost has been of running the Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Avon strategic health authority in each year of its existence.

Caroline Flint: Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire strategic health authority has received allocations for its running costs of £4.7 million in 2003-04, £5.1 million in 2004-05, £5.3 million in 2005-06 and £5.3 million in 2006-07.

General Practitioner Surgeries (Gloucestershire)

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the funding of new GP surgeries in Gloucestershire, with particular reference to the surgery proposed in Churchdown.

Caroline Flint: The Government are committed to improving local health care facilities but the decision to modernise health care services has been devolved to the local level and improvements to such services will be based on local need.
	Consequently, the modernisation of primary health care premises is determined locally by consultation between primary care trusts (PCTs) and general practitioner (GP) practices.
	I understand that West Gloucestershire PCT acknowledges that the current GP premises are in urgent need of replacement. The PCT is completely behind the Churchdown scheme and has been working in partnership with the practice in developing plans for a number of years.
	The GP practices need to continue to consult with the existing strategic health authority and PCT and then with the new bodies when the reorganisation takes place, in order that business continuity is maintained.

Health Service Budgets

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what requirement there is for  (a) primary care trusts and  (b) hospital trusts to balance their annual budget in the 2006-07 financial year; what exceptions she has allowed to this requirement; and if she will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: All national health service organisations should aim to achieve financial balance each and every year.
	Strategic health authorities (SHAs) are responsible for delivering both overall financial balance for their local health communities, and ensuring that each and every body achieves financial balance. There is flexibility in how this objective is achieved. SHAs can agree a recovery plan for an organisation that phases the recovery of deficits over a number of years. However, for the NHS as a whole to balance, any overspending in one organisation must be matched by underspending elsewhere.

Health Services (Cornwall)

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what percentage of hospital patients in Cornwall have had their discharge delayed by more than two weeks in the last 12 months;
	(2)  how many hospital patients in Cornwall had their discharge delayed by  (a) up to eight days,  (b) between eight and 14 days,  (c) between 15 and 27 days and  (d) more than 28 days in each year since 2002.

Caroline Flint: The Department does not hold information centrally in the format requested.

Hepatitis C

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have been offered ex-gratia payments where they were infected with hepatitis C by the national health service blood or blood products; and how many people have been refused payments under this scheme.

Caroline Flint: The Skipton Fund has made payments to 3,480 people who developed chronic hepatitis C infection due to national health service blood or blood products. It has refused 316 such claims. A further 492 payments were made to claimants who developed cirrhosis of the liver or primary liver cancer, while 104 claims for these complications have been deferred.

Home Help

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many home help hours have been delivered in each year since 1997.

Ivan Lewis: Information on the total number of home help hours delivered during the year is unavailable. The table shows the estimated number of contact hours during a sample week in September provided or commissioned by councils with social services responsibility in England for the years 1997 to 2005. Information on the number of privately arranged home help hours is not available centrally.
	
		
			  Estimated number of contact hours of home care provided in England, 1997 to 2005 
			  Survey week in September (year)  Contact hours for the week 
			 1997 2,607,500 
			 1998 2,607,400 
			 1999 2,684,200 
			 2000 2,791,300 
			 2001 2,881,700 
			 2002 2,983,200 
			 2003 3,174,800 
			 2004 3,359,000 
			 2005 3,567,500 
			  Notes:  1. Estimates for missing data are included in the national total and the figures are rounded.  2. Households receiving home care purchased with a direct payment are excluded from these figures.   Source:  Department of Health, HH1 return.

Injectable Heroin Prescribing

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what lessons were learned from the National Treatment Agency's clinical team study visit to Switzerland in 2004; and if she will make a statement on her policy on  (a) safe injecting rooms and  (b) models of injectable heroin prescribing.

Caroline Flint: Safe injecting rooms for the supervised injecting of legally prescribed opiates such as pharmaceutical diamorphine, are an accepted part of clinical practice; the need for its use in individual cases is based on clinical judgement. Such injecting facilities are available in this and a number of other countries that prescribe injectable opiates for the management of opiate dependence and we fully support this. The Government do not, however, support the development of injecting rooms for the use of illegal drugs.
	The Department, with the Home Office and the National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse (NTA) commissioned guidance from an independent expert working group chaired by Professor John Strang(1) on injectable opiate prescribing. This guidance(2) can be accessed through the NTA website, www.nta.nhs.uk We have also supported the funding of the pilots of injectable diamorphine prescribing that are currently underway in England which are looking at a new model of supervised diamorphine prescribing in the United Kingdom.
	Overall the lessons learned have informed the pilot injectable clinics which have now started in South London and which will soon be piloted in Brighton and Darlington.
	(1) Professor John Strang MBBS, FRCPsych, MD, Professor in Addiction Research, Director of the National Addiction Centre, Institute of Psychiatry King's College London & Maudsely Hospital (South London and Maudsley NHS Trust, SLAM)
	(2) "Injectable heroin (and injectable methadone): potential roles in drug treatment" NTA, DH, HO (June 2003)

Making it Better, Making it Real Consultation

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost was of the Making it Better, Making it Real Consultation conducted in the Greater Manchester, Cheshire and High Peak Primary Care Trust areas.

Rosie Winterton: This information is not held centrally but can be obtained directly from Greater Manchester strategic health authority.

Maternity Services

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which  (a) hospitals and  (b) stand alone maternity units have fully-staffed crash teams.

Rosie Winterton: The Department does not collect this information.

Maternity Services

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many mothers had home births in each year between 1997 and 2005, broken down by primary care trust; and what the ratio of midwives to birth was for home births in each case.

Ivan Lewis: Information on the number of home births in each year between 1997 and 2004, broken down by primary care trust, has been placed in the Library. The information requested on the ratio of midwives to birth for home births in each case is not collected centrally.

Medicines

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 3 March 2006,  Official Report, column 1046W, on medicines, what steps she plans to take to ensure that the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency complies with target processing times.

Andy Burnham: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is taking a number of steps to improve its performance with respect to the assessment of product licence applications and variations and its ability to meet the target processing times. These include:
	the recruitment of additional information processing and assessment staff, including pharmacists and physicians, to deal with the growing complexity of licence applications and approval procedures;
	extended working hours and bonus payments to staff for their information processing and assessment outputs;
	additional professional assessor training to enable each assessor to deal more efficiently with a wider range of scientific issues in each application; and
	improvements to the recently introduced data, document and workflow management system to improve its processing times.
	The MHRA's progress in dealing with the backlog of licence variation applications is already published on its website at www.mhra.gov.uk Once this special project is complete the MHRA will ensure that the future process provides for sustainable throughput against target times for all types of licence applications.

Mental Health

Philip Dunne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many mental health patients have been admitted to  (a) Whitcliffe mental health ward in Ludlow Hospital in Shrewsbury and  (b) the mental health ward at Whitchurch in Shropshire in each month since January 2004.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not held centrally.

Mental Health

Philip Dunne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients who live  (a) within and  (b) outside South Shropshire district council area have been admitted to Whitcliffe mental health ward in Ludlow in each month since January 2004.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not held centrally.

Ministerial Visits (Accommodation)

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discounts are available in relation to hotel accommodation used by  (a) civil servants and  (b) special advisers in her Department.

Ivan Lewis: The Department utilises a Government contract with Expotel for the provision of a hotel room booking service and to achieve best rates.
	In using this service, the Department receives a rebate of 5.4 per cent. of the room rate.
	The current contract expires on 31 May 2006 and will be replaced by an Office of Government commerce framework agreement from which the Department will obtain an increased rebate of 5.84 per cent. of the room rate.

Muscular Dystrophy

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what status Muscular Dystrophy has under the national service framework for long-term conditions; and whether she plans to change that status.

Ivan Lewis: Although the national service framework for long-term conditions (NSF) does not address individual long-term conditions separately as there are so many elements of service provision that are common to different conditions, muscular dystrophy is one of the neurological conditions specifically mentioned in the NSF.

National Framework for Continuing Care (Hillingdon)

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions she has had with Hillingdon social services about the National Framework for Continuing Care; and what the content of those discussions was.

Ivan Lewis: The national framework for national health service continuing healthcare and NHS-funded nursing care has been developed in consultation with a wide range of representatives from health and social care, voluntary organisations and patients and carers.
	Hillingdon local authority social services attended an open discussion forum hosted by North West London Strategic Health Authority in December 2005. The purpose of this forum was to discuss an early draft of the proposed assessment tool which supports the national framework policy on eligibility for NHS continuing healthcare.

National Health Service Act

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the operation of section 35 of the National Health Service Act 1977; and what recent representations she has received about the operation of this  (a) section and  (b) Act.

Rosie Winterton: The Select Committee on Health concluded in March 2001, following its inquiry into access to national health service dentistry, that the general dental services (GDS) remuneration system was at the heart of the problems facing NHS dentistry and that there was an urgent need to bring dentistry into the mainstream of the NHS. 'NHS Dentistry: Options for Change', published in August 2002, set out proposals to give primary care trusts direct responsibility for commissioning primary dental care services to meet the needs of their local populations and to alter the system of GDS remuneration. The Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Act 2003 provided the legislative framework for implementing these proposals, replacing section 35 of the National Health Service Act 1977 with new responsibilities upon primary care trusts to commissioning dental services.

NHS Fertility Clinics

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice is provided on the use of gonadotropin products in NHS fertility clinics.

Andy Burnham: In England and Wales advice on the use of gonadotropins is provided in the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence's clinical guideline "Fertility: assessment and treatment for people with fertility problems".
	Provision of advice to national health service clinics in Northern Ireland and Scotland is a matter for the devolved administrations.

NHS Litigation Authority

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the NHS Litigation Authority will conclude assessing the risks to the NHS from claims arising from the recent equal pay settlement for women working in Cumbrian NHS hospitals; whether the NHS Litigation Authority will make any estimates of future NHS liabilities; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 10 March 2006,  Official Report, columns 1819-1820W.

NHS Logistics Authority

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will place in the Library a copy of the paper assessing the impact on the efficiency of the NHS Logistics Authority of her proposal to outsource the Authority.

Andy Burnham: The Department is still conducting detailed commercial negotiations with the preferred bidder for the outsourcing. The information requested is therefore commercially sensitive.

NHS Trusts

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will collect data centrally in respect of monies spent on private sector transportation by NHS trusts.

Andy Burnham: Information is already collected on patient transport services centrally. However, data on monies spent on private sector transportation are not separately identifiable.
	We do not currently anticipate requesting the national health service to collect specific information on private sector transportation by NHS trust.

NHS Trusts

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which NHS trusts  (a) were (i) in surplus and (ii) in debt and  (b) had balanced books by the end of financial year (A) 2004-05 and (B) 2005-06.

Andy Burnham: The 2004-05 audited financial position and the 2005-06 unaudited month six forecast position, as submitted to the Department by national health service organisations (strategic health authorities, primary care trusts and NHS trusts) is available on the Department's website at: www.dh.gov.uk/PublicationsAndStatistics/FreedomOfInformation/ClassesOfInformation/fs/en

Obesity (Young People)

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research she has commissioned into using calorie free sweeteners in soft drinks to reduce the incidence of obesity amongst children; and what assessment she has made of the merits of so doing.

Caroline Flint: The Department has not commissioned any specific research on the potential impact on childhood obesity of soft drinks containing artificial sweeteners. Research has been carried out in the United States of America, and published in the Journal of American Academy of Paediatrics, on the effects of decreasing consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks on body weight in adolescents.
	The Food Standards Agency has commenced discussions with stakeholders on a strategy to address the calorie levels in certain foods to help consumers achieve energy balance; the levels of sugar in some foods, including soft drinks, is being explored as part of this strategy.

Oral Health

Brian Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment her Department has made of the oral health of the population in  (a) Bolton South East constituency,  (b) the North West and  (c) England.

Rosie Winterton: The information available centrally shows that average number of decayed, missing or filled teeth (DMFT) among five-year-olds in the area of Bolton Primary Care Trust (PCT) is 3.23, compared to 2.42 for Greater Manchester and 1.49 in England as a whole.
	We have also taken note of the fact that Rowley Regis and Tipton PCT, which has similar social profile to Bolton, but receives fluoridated water, has a DMFT of 0.98. Changes we have made in the legislative framework governing fluoridation give communities with high levels of dental decay a real option of having their water fluoridated.

Oxygen Cylinder Provision (East Sussex)

Celia Barlow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action she is taking to reduce the amount of time spent by patients in hospital in East Sussex as a result of a delay in the provision of oxygen cylinders by Allied Respiratory.

Andy Burnham: There is a six-month transition period, ending on 31 July 2006, to support the transfer of the home oxygen service to the new suppliers. We are continuing to work intensively with the national health service locally and Allied Respiratory on managing that transfer, including the requirement on suppliers to support the discharge of patients from hospital through timely delivery of oxygen equipment to patients' homes.

Premature Births

Sally Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many premature births there were in each of the last five years.

Ivan Lewis: The available information about length of gestation at delivery is published annually in table 21 of the statistical bulletin "NHS Maternity Statistics: England". Copies of the bulletins, the latest of which relates to 2004-05, are available in the Library.

Private Healthcare

Philip Dunne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the impact on the NHS of pensioners in occupational pension schemes opting out of private healthcare provision as a result of it being taxed as a benefit in kind.

Ivan Lewis: National health service capacity requirements are assessed by each primary care trust as part of its local delivery planning responsibilities. The information requested is not available centrally.

Private Patient Transportation

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment she has made of the cost to the NHS of private patient transportation in each NHS trust in England and Wales; and if she will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: Each national health service organisation is free, and expected, to use its resources in the way that delivers the best available value for money which will include consideration of a range of different providers.

Section 64 Grants

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many voluntary organisations have received funding through section 64 General Scheme of Grants for 2006-07; when these payments were finally agreed; and how much money was allocated in total for section 64 funding in 2006-07.

Ivan Lewis: holding answer 23 May 2006
	The number of voluntary and community organisations that have been awarded a section 64 General Scheme of Grants for 2006-07 is 426 with awards finally agreed 12 May 2006. The 2006-07 budget for section 64 is £17.2 million.

TGN 1412

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the interim report by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency on the drug TGN 1412; what steps she has taken to assess the longer term impacts of TGN 1412 on the health of trial participants; and what assessment she has made of the current health of these volunteers.

Andy Burnham: I am satisfied with both the interim and final investigation reports by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) on the TGN1412 clinical trial of 13 March 2006, which were published on 5 April and 25 May 2006 respectively. The scientific issues which arise from this trial are being addressed by the expert scientific group on phase one clinical trials, which my right hon. Friend the Member for Liverpool, Wavertree (Jane Kennedy) asked to be established in April. It will provide an interim report within three months. The MHRA is following up the major findings identified in the final investigation report.
	All six volunteers who experienced the serious adverse reactions following the clinical trial on 13 March were transferred to Northwick Park Hospital from the Parexel unit. They continued to improve and were discharged from critical care in early April. Five of the volunteers were sent home within a month of the incident, while one patient remains in hospital and is making a steady recovery. All six are under close supervision by hospital specialists.

Tuberculosis

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions she has had with representatives of Statens Serum Institute in the past year, with particular reference to the licensing arrangements for the Purified Protein Derivative used in skin testing for tuberculosis.

Andy Burnham: Departmental officials, together with the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency, have held meetings with Statens Serum Institute to consider the viability of an application for a marketing authorisation for purified protein derivative solutions for use in testing for tuberculosis.

Unpasteurised Milk

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made on the labelling of cheeses made from unpasteurised milk at retail level.

Caroline Flint: The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has issued generic guidance to food businesses and to enforcement agencies on the new European Union food hygiene regulations, which came into effect from 1 January 2006. This guidance cross-refers to the European Commission's guidance on the relevant legislation (Regulation (EC) No. 853/2004) and also provides a website link. So far as the labelling of cheese is concerned, the Commission's guidance explains that raw milk products should be labelled made with raw milk at the point of retail sale.
	The FSA is currently considering what further guidance is required for local food authorities on a number of issues in relation to milk and dairy products, including the labelling aspect.

Waiting Times

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health why direct referrals to audiology services have been excluded from the 18-week waiting time target as set out in "Tackling hospital waiting: the 18 week patient pathway".

Andy Burnham: As detailed in paragraph 2.5 of the publication "Tackling hospital waiting: the 18 week patient pathway. An implementation framework" the 18-week patient pathway is focused on changing traditional hospital consultant pathways. Audiology, and adult hearing services in particular, are mainly accessed directly by primary care. Therefore, they are predominantly outside the scope of the 18-week pathway.
	However, a separate action plan is currently under consideration to improve access to adult hearing services outside the 18-week programme. The intention is to develop the action plan in partnership with stakeholders.

Waiting Times

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time is for an initial paediatric cardiology assessment.

Ivan Lewis: The average waiting time, for a child aged 0 to 17 years, from receipt of a general practitioner's written referral request to attending a paediatric cardiology out-patients clinic is seven weeks.

Winchcombe Hospital, Gloucestershire

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what covenants exist on the grounds of Winchcombe hospital, Winchcombe, Gloucestershire; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: Cheltenham and Tewksbury primary care trust (PCT) has advised that no reference to any restrictive covenant appear in either the October 1991 transfer to the East Gloucestershire National Health Service Trust or in the current November 2002 Land Certificate that vests the property in the Cheltenham and Tewkesbury PCT.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Antisocial Behaviour (York)

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from the City of York Council Scrutiny Board on its review of drug and alcohol related antisocial behaviour in the city.

Vernon Coaker: The Home Office has received one representation from the Chief Executive of York city council on behalf of York city council's Scrutiny Board. The Home Office has noted the contents of the letter and passed it to the Department of Constitutional Affairs for consideration.

Bruche Police Training Centre

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his Answer of 17 May 2006,  Official Report, column 1027W, on Bruche Police Training Centre, on what dates discussions have taken place between officials from his Department and  (a) the Centrex Estates and Facilities Management Team and  (b) Warrington Borough Council.

Tony McNulty: Routine and informal discussions are ongoing between Centrex and the Home Office with regard to the future of the police training facility at Bruche. The site disposal project board meets on a monthly basis and comprises Home Office officials and members of the Centrex estates and facilities management team. The last meeting was held on 9 May and the next is scheduled for 12 June.
	A full planning appraisal in relation to the Bruche site was prepared for Centrex in September 2004 and consultants working for the Home Office have since re-contacted Warrington Borough Council in January 2006 in order to update that appraisal. The process of formally appointing advisers for the sale of the Bruche site is underway with appointment likely by early July. Once made, this appointment will enable a more active dialogue with the local authority.

Business in the Community Programme (Prisons)

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the business organisations twinned with each HM Prison establishment as part of the Business in the Community programme; what contributions are registered as having been made; what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the programme; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The organisations twinned with each prison are as follows:
	Belmarsh—Morgan Stanley
	Brixton—Ernst and Young
	Feltham—British Airways
	Holloway—Accenture
	Pentonville—The Guardian
	Wandsworth—Marsh
	Wormwood Scrubs—Centrica
	No contributions have been recorded. Three evaluations of the pilot have taken place, the third and final report being published in February 2006. The benefits of the partnerships have varied between establishments. Benefits gained include insight into different working cultures, personal development discussions, mentoring, exchange of managerial or leadership skills and sharing of good practice, facilities and ideas.

Crime Statistics

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many types of crime have been committed by people on probation in each of the last five years, broken down by type of crime and police authority area.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Information is not routinely collected in the form requested.
	Data on crimes that are categorised as Serious Offences committed by offenders under the supervision of the Probation Service are available for the financial year 2004-05 in Table 5.6 of the Home Office Statistical Bulletin "Offender Management Caseload Statistics 2004".
	This report is available at www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs05/hosb1705.pdf.

Deportations

David Gauke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he was aware that 288 foreign nationals had been released since March 2005 without being considered for deportation when  (a) he made his offer to resign to the Prime Minister on 25 April 2006 and  (b) he was interviewed on Newsnight on 25 April 2006.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 3 May 2006
	This is a matter for my right hon. friend the former Home Secretary.

Drug Abuse

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what funding has been allocated to  (a) Stoke-on-Trent,  (b) Nottingham and  (c) Birmingham in 2005-06 for drug services in the city; and what each figure represents per capita.

Vernon Coaker: Funding is allocated centrally to Drug Action Teams, who provide funding for local services that are appropriate to local needs. In 2005-06, funding streams which contributed to drug services at a local level included the Building Safer Communities Fund; the Drug Interventions Programme main grant; the Drug Strategy Partnership Support Grant; the Pooled Treatment Budget; and the Young People Substance Misuse Partnership Grant. Local partnerships also received funding for specific projects or programmes under the Drug Interventions Programme which were operating in the area, such as additional throughcare and aftercare provision, Restriction on Bail, the Rent Deposit Scheme, or the combined Criminal Justice Integrated Team-Prolific and Priority Offender scheme. Full details of funding for Stoke-on Trent, Nottingham and Birmingham in 2005-06 are provided in the attached document.
	Population figures for Stoke-on Trent, Nottingham and Birmingham are 238,000, 275,000 and 992,000 respectively. The funding allocations for each area on a per capita basis would therefore be £11.74 for Stoke-on Trent, £23.32 for Nottingham and £18.41 for Birmingham.
	
		
			  Stoke on Trent drug action team 
			  £ 
			   Amount 
			 Building Safer Communities 432,838.00 
			 DIP Main Grant 402,776.00 
			 Drug Strategy Partnership Support Grant 70,467.00 
			 Pooled Treatment Budget 1,327,600.00 
			 Young People Substance Misuse Partnership Grant 560,431.00 
			 Total 2,794,112.00 
		
	
	
		
			  Nottingham drug action team 
			  £ 
			   Amount 
			 Building Safer Communities 695,213.00 
			 DIP Main Grant 1,671,552.00 
			 Drug Strategy Partnership Support Grant 71,607.00 
			 Pooled Treatment Budget 2,820,160.00 
			 Restriction of Bail Grant 164,476,00 
			 Young People Substance Misuse Partnership Grant 990,923.00 
			 Total 6,413,931.00 
		
	
	
		
			  Birmingham drug action team 
			  £ 
			   Amount 
			 Building Safer Communities 1,851,968.00 
			 DIP Main Grant 4,773,495,00 
			 Drug Strategy Partnership Support Grant 99,497.00 
			 Pooled Treatment Budget 10,017,000,00 
			 Rent Deposit Scheme 95,000,00 
			 Restriction of Bail Grant 60,000.00 
			 Young People Substance Misuse Partnership Grant 1,362,765.00 
			 Total 18,259,725.00

Drug Treatment Programmes

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what facilities and premises are provided by his Department in Peterborough for the provision of  (a) treatment and testing and  (b) rehabilitation of offenders; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The facilities and premises in Peterborough for the provision of drug treatment, testing and the rehabilitation of offenders are as set out in the following table:
	
		
			  Name of provider  Address of premises  Description of what is delivered at premises 
			 Cambridgeshire Probation Area Gloucester House 23a London Road Peterborough Cambridgeshire PE2 8AP Supervision and testing of offenders on drug treatment and testing orders (DTTOs), drug rehabilitation requirements (DRRs) of the community order and prolific and other priority offenders (PPOs) subject to a drug testing licence condition. Accredited substance misuse programme (Offender Substance Abuse Programme). 
			 Contracted health service staff and independent providers Gloucester House 23a London Road Peterborough Cambridgeshire PE2 8AP Drug counselling, psychotherapy and alternative therapies e.g. acupuncture delivered to offenders on DTTOs/DRRs, PPOs and offenders released from prison on licence. 
			 The NENE project (a joint project run by the local Criminal Justice Integrated Team and police force designed to direct offenders into appropriate forms of drug treatment) 96 Bridge Street Peterborough Cambridgeshire PE1 1DY Drug counselling, psychotherapy and alternative therapies e.g. acupuncture. Testing of offenders subject to restriction on bail (RoB), including offenders on DTTOs/DRRs and those not on statutory orders or licences. Also, some testing of PPOs. 
			 Contracted independent providers Methodist Church Westgate Peterborough Cambridgeshire Alternative therapies to offenders on DRRs/DTTOs, PPOs and offenders on licence. 
			 NHS Community Drugs Team 62 Lincoln Road Peterborough Cambridgeshire PE1 2SN Clinical and medical input i.e. substitute prescribing, detoxification for offenders referred by the NENE project and those who have been sentenced to DTTOs/DRRs. 
			 Bridgegate Drugs Services (a voluntary sector treatment provider) 49-51 Broadway Peterborough Cambridgeshire PE1 1SQ Alternative therapies, one-to-one counselling and health care/housing advice to offenders on DTTOs/DRRs and those subject to statutory licence conditions. 
			 HMP Peterborough (a private prison run by United Kingdom Detention Service, which opened on 28 March 2005) Saville Road Westwood Peterborough Cambridgeshire PE3 7PD Detoxification and maintenance delivered by Prison Healthcare Group. Mandatory drug testing programme and in-house voluntary drug testing. Counselling, assessment, referral, advice and throughcare services (CARATs). 
			 Youth Offending Service Drug and Alcohol Resettlement Team (DART) 13-15 Cavell Court Lincoln Road Peterborough PE1 2RJ Substance misuse assessments, treatment interventions and additional focused support for young people. 
			 Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (Young Users Team) The Cedars 16-18 Aldermans Drive Peterborough PE3 6AR Tier three treatment to young offenders with joint substance misuse and mental health problems.

Gloucestershire Constabulary (Headquarters)

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what he expects the role of the new headquarters of Gloucestershire Constabulary at Quedgeley to be if the proposed police mergers go ahead.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 25 April 2006
	No decision has been made as yet on the future organisation of the police force areas in the South West region. In any event, the location and role of force headquarters is a matter for the chief officer and police authority concerned.

Hendon Police Training Centre

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the future of the Metropolitan Police Training Centre at Hendon.

Tony McNulty: The police training centre at Hendon is a wholly-owned asset of the Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA) and, as such, determination as to its future is the responsibility of the MPA.

National Firearms Register

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects the National Firearms Register to be fully operational and available for the use of all police forces.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 5 June 2006
	Live testing of the National Firearms Licensing Management System will begin in two forces on 5 June 2006. If this is successful the system will then be rolled out to all forces by March 2007.

National Offender Management Service

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the effect of the introduction of the National Offender Management Service on jobs in the prison and probation services in Gloucestershire.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The introduction of the National Offender Management Service will result in changes to working practice for many staff in the prison and probation services, as it includes the implementation of the new offender management model, as well as the introduction of new shared information and offender risk assessment systems. However, it is too early to tell what effect the introduction may have on jobs in the prison and probation services in Gloucestershire. For example, the change from probation boards to probation trusts and the introduction of commissioning are likely to have only a gradual impact at working level and much will be dependent on the response of the range of possible providers under the new commissioning regime.

North Wales Police

David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the future of the North Wales Police fraud squad.

Tony McNulty: This is an operational matter for the Chief Constable of the North Wales Police. However, I understand that the force continues to operate a Financial Investigation Unit responsible for investigating fraud and other financial crime.

Operation Artbeat

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the work of Operation Artbeat.

Tony McNulty: Under Operation Artbeat, the Metropolitan Police Service is aiming to recruit as special constables individuals with expertise in art, antiques or collectibles to help their fight to combat art crime in London. The operation is at an early stage and interest from employers and staff is currently being assessed.

Operation Reproof

Gary Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the value for money obtained for the working hours expended by Devon and Cornwall constabulary in connection with Operation Reproof; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 5 June 2006
	The hon. Member's question is about an operational police matter that is the responsibility of the chief officer concerned. Ministers have agreed that parliamentary questions on issues that are solely the responsibility of police forces can be passed to the force concerned so that they can respond to the issues raised. I will pass the question to the chief officer of Devon and Cornwall police so that she can respond to the hon. Member directly and I will ensure that a copy of her response is placed in the Library.

Parliamentary Questions

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will provide substantive answers to questions 46163 and 46160 tabled by the hon. Member for Faversham and Mid Kent on 24 January 2006 for answer on 30 January 2006.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 28 March 2006
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 18 April 2006,  Official Report, column 363W by my hon. Friend the Member for Wythenshawe and Sale, East (Paul Goggins).
	I would like to take this opportunity to clarify the earlier answer and put the matter beyond any doubt. The hon. Member asked what penalties may be imposed on sports bodies for non-compliance with the Private Security Industry Act 2001. Companies that hire security firms whose personnel include unlicensed staff are not committing any offence, since the Act places the onus on the individual and the company that provides security services, not on the customer. Where in-house employees are required to be licensed, the employer and individual are both responsible for ensuring this occurs.

Police

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to ensure PC Richard Keel of Shrewsbury receives the proper medical treatment for the injuries he sustained whilst on duty.

Tony McNulty: I wrote to the hon. Member on 26 May 2006 about his concerns.

Police

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what effect he expects the proposed reorganisation of police forces in England and Wales to have on conviction rates.

Tony McNulty: The police are just one, albeit very important, part of the criminal justice system. We fully expect the reform of the police service to enhance all aspects of policing, including crime prevention, detection and conviction rates. For example, reform should contribute towards improving the quality of major or specialist investigations undertaken by the police, which will help towards securing successful convictions.

Police

John Cummings: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on progress with his proposals to merge the Northumbria, Durham and Cleveland police authorities.

Tony McNulty: On 3 March, the then Home Secretary (Charles Clarke) announced his intention to make the necessary changes to allow Northumbria, Durham and Cleveland police areas to merge. The statutory consultation period ends on 2 July.

Police

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how the merger of constabularies will affect Level 1 and Level 2 crime investigation.

Tony McNulty: The development of strategic forces will ensure that they have the necessary capacity, capability and resilience to provide the required standard of level 2 policing whilst preserving and strengthening level 1 policing.

Police

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police stations he expects to be closed if constabularies are merged.

Tony McNulty: The management of the police estate and allocation of resources are matters for each police authority and the chief constable, who are responsible for assessing local needs.
	The Government are committed to every area in England and Wales benefiting from dedicated, visible, accessible and responsive neighbourhood policing teams by 2008. The new strategic forces will protect neighbourhood policing by reducing diversion of neighbourhood policing resource to deal with major incidents and serious crimes.

Police

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of the public he estimates to be in favour of the merger of constabularies.

Tony McNulty: No estimate has been made of the percentage of the public in favour of the amalgamation of police force areas. My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary has given notice of his intention to make the changes necessary to allow certain police force areas to merge and will consider any objections raised by the relevant police authorities and local authorities.

Police

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research he has commissioned on the  (a) cost and  (b) effectiveness of federations of police forces; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 2 February 2006
	The Home Office commissioned work to assess the cost of proposals for restructuring submitted by forces and authorities, including those for federation, where sufficient cost data was provided.
	Further details on these assessments are available at:
	http://police.homeoffice.gov.uk/police-reform/Force-restructuring

Police

John Cummings: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the representations he has received  (a) in support of and  (b) against the proposed merger of Northumbria, Durham and Cleveland police forces.

Tony McNulty: In accordance with the provisions of sections 32 and 33 of the Police Act 1996, on 3 March 2006 the former Home Secretary (Charles Clarke) gave notice to police authorities, police forces and local authorities in the North East areas that he proposed to make an order amalgamating the Cleveland, Durham and Northumbria police areas with effect from 1 April 2007. This initiated a four months consultation period concluding on 2 July 2006. To date we have received one letter from Blyth Valley borough council in support of merger and none objecting to merger.

Police

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations his Department received from Suffolk  (a) for and  (b) against the proposed merger of police forces in the East of England.

Tony McNulty: The then Home Secretary (Charles Clarke) announced his intention to make the necessary changes to allow Suffolk Constabulary to merge with Cambridgeshire and Norfolk Constabularies on 11 April 2006. The statutory consultation period ends on 11 August 2006. To date, we have not received any representations from Suffolk Police Authority, the Chief Constable of Suffolk Constabulary or local authorities in the Suffolk Police Authority area.

Prison Service

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  if he will make a statement on the policy of HM Prison Service on the transfer of  (a) senior operational managers and  (b) staff who are subject to investigation processes to other establishments and units;
	(2)  how many senior operational managers in HM Prison Service have been transferred to other establishments and units whilst under investigation in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement;

Gerry Sutcliffe: All senior operational managers are mobile staff and under the terms of their employment are liable to be transferred to any Civil Service post, in the UK or abroad.
	It is not Prison Service policy to routinely transfer members of staff who are subject to investigation, though in some cases it is not appropriate for a member of staff to remain at their usual place of work while an investigation into serious misconduct takes place. In such cases, a decision is first made as to whether detached duty to another location is appropriate before considering the suspension of a member of staff.
	If the member of staff under investigation is a mobile grade they can be transferred to any Civil Service post on a period of detached duty. If the member of staff under investigation is non-mobile they can be placed on detached duty to a post within reasonable daily travelling distance of their home.
	As to the number of senior operational managers transferred in these circumstances, comprehensive information is not collated centrally in the format requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Prison Service

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff at HMP Brixton are under disciplinary investigation.

Gerry Sutcliffe: 11 staff at Brixton are under disciplinary investigation at present.

Prison Service

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of non-operational grade staff employed at each HM Prison establishment in the London area receive the RHS allowance; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: It is assumed the hon. Member is referring to Required Hours Addition (RHA). The information requested is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Proportion of non-operational grade staff employed at each prison in the London area receiving the Required Hours Addition (RHA) 
			  Prison  Number of non-operational managers E to G  Non-operational managers (E to G) in receipt of RHA 
			 Belmarsh 7 1 
			 Brixton 7 — 
			 Feltham 5 3 
			 Holloway 15 2 
			 Latchmere House 1 1 
			 Pentonville 5 1 
			 Wandsworth 16 6 
			 Wormwood Scrubs 7 2

Prison Service

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the circumstances in which the director of operations in HM Prison Service is required to approve managed moves at senior operational level.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Prison Service holds weekly succession planning committee meetings chaired by the Deputy Director General where the movements of senior operational managers are approved. The Director of Operations is a member of this committee.

Prison Service

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the grade is of the Prison Service staff adviser to the Minister with responsibility for prisons.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The role of the Prison Service staff adviser to the Minister with responsibility for prisons does not have a specific grade associated with it. The post is filled by the most suitable candidate available at the time, and is not restricted to those with a certain grade.

Prison Service

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the results of the most recent staff survey carried out in the Prison Service.

Gerry Sutcliffe: 71 per cent. of staff who responded to the 2005 Prison Service staff survey were satisfied with their job and 66 per cent. were proud to work for the Prison Service. Respondents were also positive about a range of aspects associated with working in prisons, line management, relationships with other staff and with prisoners, and training/development. They were least satisfied with the senior management teams, communication and facilities. The results have been discussed by the Prison Service Management Board and disseminated internally. Local plans are being drawn up to take follow-up action.

Prison Service

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions he has had with the chief executive of the Equal Opportunities Commission concerning the effectiveness of HM Prison Service in deterring and preventing sexual harassment within the workplace.

Gerry Sutcliffe: There has not been recent discussion between my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department and the Equal Opportunities Commission chief executive on this matter.

Prisoners (Gender Realignment)

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the cost of prisoners undergoing gender re-alignment procedures in each prison establishment for each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Information is not collected centrally on the number of prisoners in London prisons undergoing gender reassignment. No estimate has been made on the cost of these procedures in prisons nationally.
	It is the aim of this Government that prisoners should have access to health care that is broadly comparable to that enjoyed by the rest of the community. Gender dysphoria is a recognised medical condition. Therefore, if medical treatment for it is recommended by a national health service gender dysphoria specialist for a person in prison custody, such treatment, up to and including gender reassignment surgery, should be allowed to proceed. We are currently preparing guidelines on the management, treatment and care of prisoners with gender dysphoria.

Prisoners (Gender Realignment)

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what national guidance is available concerning gender re-alignment treatment within HM prison service; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many prisoners detained within London prison establishments are undergoing gender re-alignment procedures.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Information is not collected centrally on the numbers of prisoners in London prisons undergoing gender reassignment.
	It is the aim of this Government that prisoners should have access to health care that is broadly comparable to that enjoyed by the rest of the community. Gender dysphoria is a recognised medical condition. Therefore, if medical treatment for it is recommended by a national health service gender dysphoria specialist for a person in prison custody, such treatment, up to and including gender reassignment surgery, should be allowed to proceed.
	We are currently preparing guidelines on the management, treatment and care of prisoners with gender dysphoria.

Prisoners (Gender Realignment)

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what national guidance is available concerning the use of strip search procedures for those prisoners undergoing gender re-alignment treatment within HM prison service establishments; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The prison service national security framework document contains policy and guidelines concerning strip-searches, now termed full searches, of prisoners. This includes specific policy and guidelines for full searches of prisoners who are undergoing gender reassignment.

Prisoners' Compensation

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 17 May 2006,  Official Report, column 1050W, on prisoners' compensation, how many people were compensated under each category; for which crime each had been convicted; how many were compensated under the Human Rights Act 1998; and if he will publish the data for the years prior to 2004 with an explanation of why it is unreliable.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The following table details the number of prisoners compensated under each category recorded during the last two financial years. Before 2004-05 litigation statistics were not collated centrally and therefore reliable figures are not available. It would be inappropriate to publish inaccurate figures. To determine the crimes committed by each claimant or whether they were compensated under the Human Rights Act, would involve disproportionate costs.
	
		
			  Prisoners in England and Wales compensated by category during the financial years 2004-05 and 2005-06. 
			  Number 
			   2004-05  2005-06 
			  Type of prisoner claim  Claims settled  Awards made by courts  Claims settled  Awards made by courts 
			 Abuse/Harassment 1 0 2 0 
			 Assault by Prisoner 12 0 3 0 
			 Assault by Staff 12 0 3 0 
			 Slip, Trip and Fall 29 1 26 1 
			 Sport Injury 0 0 2 0 
			 Miscellaneous Injury 31 2 30 0 
			 Medical Negligence 7 1 10 0 
			 Property 23 3 47 7 
			 Unlawful Detention 31 0 41 0 
			 Other 6 0 12 1 
			 Total 152 7 176 9

Prisons

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the open prisons in England which have been in operation since 1997; what the  (a) prisoner capacity and  (b) prisoner numbers were for each in each year of operation; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 25 May 2006
	Information on the prisoner capacity and prisoner numbers in each Open Prison and Open Young Offender Institution in England since 1997 is contained in the following tables from the Prison Service IT System.
	
		
			  Open Prisons and Young Offender Institutions in England( 1 ) since 1997 
			   1997( 3)  1998( 3)  1999( 3) 
			   CNA( 2)  Total occupation  CNA( 2)  Total occupation  CNA( 2)  Total occupation 
			  Open prisons Male   
			 Ford 486 485 462 440 482 345 
			 Spring Hill 210 209 256 250 256 247 
			 Hatfield(4) — — — — — — 
			 Hewell Grange 203 202 203 191 203 166 
			 Hollesley Bay 241 221 181 174 189 113 
			 Kirkham 702 699 702 684 702 449 
			 Leyhill 410 419 410 393 410 375 
			 Moorland Open(4) — — — — — — 
			 Morton Hall 192 189 208 205 208 199 
			 North Sea Camp 213 209 213 208 197 199 
			 Standford Hill 384 375 384 371 384 360 
			 Sudbury 511 504 511 493 511 499 
			 Wealston Open 300 299 300 296 300 286 
			
			  Open prisons Female   
			 Askham Grange 130 131 330 126 130 113 
			 Drake Hall 234 253 234 258 249 197 
			 East Sutton Park 88 92 88 93 88 95 
			
			  Open Young Offender Institutions Male   
			 Colchester 32 37 — — — — 
			 Hatfield(4) 180 179 180 152 180 113 
			 Hollesley Bay — — — — 60 23 
			 Moorland Open(4) — — — — — — 
			 Thorn Cross 256 219 256 184 256 184 
			
			  Open Young Offender Institutions Female   
			 Drake Hall 47 28 47 17 46 12 
			 East Sutton Park 6 3 — — 6 1 
		
	
	
		
			   2000( 3)  2001( 3)  2002( 3) 
			   CNA( 2)  Total occupation  CNA( 2)  Total occupation  CNA( 2)  Total occupation 
			  Open prisons Male   
			 Ford 501 375 501 339 533 529 
			 Spring Hill 256 247 256 235 256 250 
			 Hatfield(4) 60 — 60 57 60 59 
			 Hewell Grange 191 182 187 170 187 187 
			 Hollesley Bay 125 117 125 102 203 181 
			 Kirkham 606 499 577 452 561 528 
			 Leyhill 410 380 410 383 424 425 
			 Moorland Open(4) — — — — — — 
			 Morton Hall 208 198 — — — — 
			 North Sea Camp 208 207 208 177 307 245 
			 Standford Hill 384 281 384 328 384 373 
			 Sudbury 511 502 511 498 511 507 
			 Wealston Open 300 283 300 284 300 294 
			
			  Open prisons Female   
			 Askham Grange 132 113 132 128 141 135 
			 Drake Hall 249 147 — — — — 
			 East Sutton Park 88 65 88 84 88 90 
			
			  Open Young Offender Institutions Male   
			 Colchester — — — — — — 
			 Hatfield(4) 120 115 120 116 120 111 
			 Hollesley Bay 60 40 60 52 45 36 
			 Moorland Open(4) — — — — — — 
			 Thorn Cross 256 181 256 166 256 166 
			
			  Open Young Offender Institutions Female   
			 Drake Hall 46 15 — — — — 
			 East Sutton Park 6 5 6 5 6 5 
		
	
	
		
			   2003( 3)  2004( 3)  2005( 3) 
			   CNA( 2)  Total occupation  CNA( 2)  Total occupation  CNA( 2)  Total occupation 
			  Open prisons Male   
			 Ford 541 524 541 515 541 518 
			 Spring Hill 336 321 336 295 314 301 
			 Hatfield(4) — — — — — — 
			 Hewell Grange 175 172 175 164 176 170 
			 Hollesley Bay 289 259 290 252 290 274 
			 Kirkham 551 523 588 530 588 549 
			 Leyhill 512 500 512 496 508 484 
			 Moorland Open(4) 140 136 200 183 200 177 
			 Morton Hall — — — — — — 
			 North Sea Camp 307 292 307 284 306 290 
			 Standford Hill 464 447 464 445 464 450 
			 Sudbury 551 516 551 550 563 525 
			 Wealston Open 331 362 330 297 330 270 
			
			  Open prisons Female   
			 Askham Grange 141 122 151 130 129 87 
			 Drake Hall — — — — — — 
			 East Sutton Park 88 96 88 91 88 94 
			  Open Young Offender Institutions Male 
			 Colchester — — — — — — 
			 Hatfield(4) — — — — — — 
			 Hollesley Bay 40 22 40 16 40 19 
			 Moorland Open(4) 120 113 60 59 60 61 
			 Thorn Cross 256 140 256 199 256 176 
			
			  Open Young Offender Institutions Female   
			 Drake Hall — — — — — — 
			 East Sutton Park 6 3 6 4 6 2 
			 (1 )The table does not include Welsh prisons. (2 )Certified Normal Accommodation, the total number of uncrowded places in the prison. (3 )As at June. (4 )Moorland Open was formerly Hatfield.

Prisons

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which prisons fingerprint prisoners on entry; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Policy on the taking of fingerprints is set out in the National Security Framework. Every prisoner convicted of a criminal offence, except those committed for the non-payment of a fine, should be fingerprinted upon first reception. Persons held under the Immigration Act 1971 must have their fingerprints taken if required for confirming their identity.
	Fingerprinting will be undertaken normally at core local prisons which are: Altcourse, Bedford, Belmarsh, Birmingham, Blakenhurst, Bristol, Brixton, Brockhill, Bronzefield, Bullingdon, Cardiff, Chelmsford, Doncaster, Dorchester, Durham, Eastwood Park, Elmley, Exeter, Forrest Bank, Gloucester, Holloway, Holme House, Hull, Leeds, Leicester, Lewes, Lincoln, Liverpool, Low Newton, Manchester, New Hall, Norwich, Nottingham, Pare, Pentonville, Peterborough, Preston, Shrewsbury, Styal, Swansea, Wandsworth, Winchester, Woodhill, Wormwood Scrubs.

Prisons

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the current state of industrial relations at HM Prison Wandsworth; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Responsibility for the management of industrial relations is the concern of the director general of the Prison Service and the Wandsworth prisoner Governor. I have not made any assessment of the current state of industrial relations at Wandsworth. However, I am advised that there have been a number of industrial relations issues which have or are being addressed through the internal industrial relations disputes mechanism.

Prisons

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the grading of the role of deputy governor at HM Prison Buckley Hall.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The current grading of the post of Deputy Governor at Buckley Hall prison is operational manager payband E. A manager with a higher grade and payband currently occupies the post but when it next becomes vacant it is expected that the post will be filled at payband E.

Prisons

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the compatibility of the new work profile at HM Prison Wandsworth with that in the service level agreement defined under the performance testing exercise of 2004.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The governing governor commissioned the current reprofiling exercise at Wandsworth. The terms of reference for the project included maximising time out of cell and purposeful activity, the introduction of evening domestic visits and improved first night arrangements. All of which are in line with the prison's service level agreement.

Prisons

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the implementation of the new work profile at HM Prison Wandsworth; what assessment of staff opinion has been conducted; and what his response is to the consultation.

Gerry Sutcliffe: A joint Prison Officers' Association (POA)/management working group has produced the new profiles. The process involved wide ranging discussion with all grades of staff involved with the changes. Following acceptance of the profiles by the governor and the verbal endorsement of them by the local POA committee chair, a workplace ballot of POA members has taken place. This ballot has resulted in the profiles being rejected. The governor is taking the matter forward using the Joint Industrial Relations Procedural Agreement process.

Prisons

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many escapes there were from Leyhill Open Prison in each quarter from 1990 to 1998; what original offences were committed by each person who escaped; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Data on absconds is not available before 1997. Details of the original offences committed by absconders from Leyhill open prison is only available for 1998 in the period asked for. The details are provided in the following table.
	
		
			  Original offences committed by absconders from Leyhill prison in 1998 
			  1998  Original offence  Number 
			 January-March Robbery  Grievous bodily harm 2  1 
			 April-June Burglary  Robbery  Murder  Taking and driving away  Handling stolen goods 3  1  1  1  1 
			 July-September Grievous bodily harm  Theft  Arson  Rape  Handling stolen goods  Sec40 2  1  1  1  1  1 
			 October-December Burglary  Murder  Robbery  Grievous bodily harm  Handling stolen goods 2  2  1  1  1 
			 Total  24

Prisons

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to improve the  (a) management of and  (b) operational effectiveness of Leyhill Open Prison in relation to the number of prisoner absconds; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Governor and his team have reduced absconds significantly to 66 in 2005-06 compared with 102 in 2004-05.
	Leyhill has improved allocation checks of incoming prisoners, risk assessments are continuously carried out and any indication of an increase in risk of abscond is managed vigorously resulting in the return of prisoners to closed conditions if necessary. The local Police Liaison Officer is now a full time post to ensure that police intelligence is appropriately used.
	Drug misuse is a significant contributing factor to the number of absconds and the supply of drugs into the prison has been reduced resulting in a 75 per cent. reduction in positive drug tests over the past 6 months. CCTV cameras have been installed and some fire doors alarmed. Intelligence is managed proactively and PIN phones identify prisoners with an increased risk of absconding.

Probation Service

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the ratio of offenders to probation officers has been in each of the last five years, broken down by probation service area.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The information requested on the ratio of offenders to probation officers from 2000 to 2004, broken down by probation service area, is provided in the following tables.
	
		
			  Average court order caseload per officer, at 31 December 2000 
			  Probation area( 1)  Court order caseload per officer( 2) 
			 Avon 17.6 
			 Bedfordshire 14.2 
			 Berkshire 17.8 
			 Cambridgeshire 13.3 
			 Cheshire 18.3 
			 Cornwall 14.2 
			 Cumbria 19.8 
			 Derbyshire 23 
			 Devon 19.2 
			 Dorset 20.3 
			 Durham 21.5 
			 Essex 19.4 
			 Gloucestershire 16.8 
			 Hampshire 20.3 
			 Hereford and Worcester 14.7 
			 Hertfordshire 18.5 
			 Humberside 17.3 
			 Kent 15.7 
			 Lancashire 17.1 
			 Leicestershire 15.8 
			 Lincolnshire 15.1 
			 Greater Manchester 27.2 
			 Merseyside 17.6 
			 Norfolk 14.4 
			 Northamptonshire 13.5 
			 Northumbria 16.1 
			 Nottinghamshire 19.5 
			 Oxford and Buckingham 15.2 
			 Shropshire 12.5 
			 Somerset 14.8 
			 Staffordshire 15.8 
			 Suffolk 12.8 
			 Surrey 18 
			 East Sussex 13.5 
			 West Sussex 13.7 
			 Teesside 30.5 
			 Warwickshire 17.2 
			 West Midlands 18.9 
			 Wiltshire 17.3 
			 North Yorkshire 16.5 
			 South Yorkshire 17.2 
			 West Yorkshire 15.7 
			 Inner London 15.8 
			 NE London 20.4 
			 SE London 11 
			 SW London 11.4 
			 Middlesex 16.3 
			 Dyfed 24.8 
			 Gwent 17.7 
			 North Wales 20.1 
			 Powys 19 
			 South Glamorgan 15.7 
			 Mid Glamorgan 21 
			 West Glamorgan 14.1 
			 (1) A number of probation areas merged in April 2001. Avon merged with Somerset to become Avon and Somerset; Berkshire and Ox and Bucks became Thames Valley; Cornwall and Devon areas became Devon and Cornwall; Hereford and Worcester and Shropshire became West Mercia; East and West Sussex became Sussex; Dyfed and Powys became Dyfed-Powys; Mid, West and South Glamorgans became South Wales; and Inner, SE, NE, SW London areas and Middlesex became London.  (2 )Court orders only are included in offender caseload, not those supervised on licence following release from prison. 
		
	
	
		
			  Average court order caseload per officer, at 31 December(( 1, 2) ) 
			  Probation area  2001  2002  2003  2004 
			 Avon and Somerset 15.8 7.6 6.3 6.8 
			 Bedfordshire 17.8 12.6 13.6 17.3 
			 Cambridgeshire 17.8 9.6 8.5 9.7 
			 Cheshire 15.9 8.3 7.4 8.4 
			 Cumbria 21.3 14.4 12.6 13.2 
			  
			 Derbyshire 20.6 12.8 10.9 11.2 
			 Devon and Cornwall 19.1 11.0 8.9 8.3 
			 Dorset 24.1 9.5 7.1 7.3 
			 Durham 25.1 9.2 8.2 7.5 
			 Essex 23.6 10.8 9.5 10.4 
			  
			 Gloucestershire 15.5 12.3 10.1 10.1 
			 Greater Manchester 23.7 11.7 10.4 11.5 
			 Hampshire 21.2 13.6 11.1 11.9 
			 Hertfordshire 21.4 14.4 12.4 14.3 
			 Humberside 14.3 9.3 8.0 7.0 
			  
			 Kent 21.9 10.5 8.8 9.2 
			 Lancashire 16.4 10.8 9.2 9.3 
			 Leicestershire 15.9 9.5 8.5 6.8 
			 Lincolnshire 16.2 8.8 9.2 9.6 
			 Merseyside 20.1 12.5 12.2 12.4 
			  
			 Norfolk 15.6 11.6 9.3 9.2 
			 Northamptonshire 21.4 9.8 9.4 9.6 
			 Northumbria 18 9.7 9.1 8.5 
			 North Yorkshire 14.7 10.6 10.0 9.5 
			 Nottinghamshire 20.9 11.9 11.5 10.3 
			  
			 South Yorkshire 19.1 10.3 9.1 8.6 
			 Staffordshire 17.1 11.1 10.4 9.9 
			 Suffolk 13.6 7.5 7.2 7.4 
			 Surrey 19.7 8.0 7.4 6.8 
			 Sussex 16.2 12.7 11.6 10.7 
			  
			 Teesside 44.8 11.6 10.8 10.8 
			 Thames Valley 19 11.2 9.6 9.0 
			 Warwickshire 16.2 12.5 11.1 11.5 
			 West Mercia 16.3 10.1 8.7 8.4 
			 West Midlands 22.8 17.3 15.7 15.0 
			  
			 West Yorkshire 15.5 10.4 9.4 9.9 
			 Wiltshire 21.7 17.8 16.2 12.0 
			 Dyfed-Powys 18.2 12.8 11.2 10.5 
			 Gwent 18.9 14.6 12.0 12.6 
			 North Wales 22.2 11.3 9.6 9.5 
			 South Wales 16.8 14.1 12.8 11.4 
			 London 17.6 12.9 11.0 13.0 
			 (1 )The methodology for producing average caseload per officer figures was revised for 2002 data onwards. The court order figures in 2000 and 2001 include Community Rehabilitation Orders, Community Punishment and Rehabilitation Orders, Suspended Sentence Orders and Money Payment Supervision Orders. 2002 onwards additionally includes Community Punishment Orders and Drug Treatment and Testing Orders. The officer figures for 2000 and 2001 include whole-time equivalent of maingrade probation officers and senior practitioners, excluding temporary and trainee, on fieldwork duties. 2002 onwards additionally includes senior probation officers on fieldwork duties, and all probation services' officers. The effect of the revised method is to produce much lower average caseload figures, due to the expanded number of staffing grades included in the calculation.  (2) Court orders only are included in offender caseload, not those supervised on licence following release from prison.

Rape

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many successful prosecutions for rape there have been in  (a) Dudley,  (b) the West Midlands and  (c) England in the last 12 months.

Vernon Coaker: Court statistics for 2005 will be available in Autumn 2006. Data from the court proceedings database held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform on the number of convictions for rape in 2004 in  (a) Dudley is 0, in  (b) West Midlands is 58, and in  (c) England is 707.

Rehabilitation of Offenders

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have gained employment having completed a  (a) custodial sentence and  (b) community service sentence in the last five years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The information is as follows:
	 (a) Information on the numbers of prisoners leaving custody and entering employment, training or education is only available for the last four years, and is given in the table.
	Outcomes for 2002-03, 2003-04 and 2004-05 include those who attended FRESHSTART appointments at Jobcentre Plus, whereby prisoners who do not have a job or training place to go to on release are linked into employment, training and benefits advice and support immediately after release. Employment, training and education (ETE) outcomes for prisoners released before April 2005 can be separated only at disproportionate cost.
	 (b) Information on the numbers of offenders under the supervision of the National Probation Service (NFS) entering employment was not centrally collected prior to April 2005. In 2005-06 8,978 offenders under the supervision of the NPS gained employment or vocational training lasting four weeks or more. Only aggregate figures are available.
	
		
			   2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			 Discharges 86,353 87,449 85,685 85,180 
			 ETE outcomes (including FRESHSTART) 21,327 33,946 41,146 42,878 
			 Employment Outcomes — — — 21,833

UK Veto (EU)

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether it is his Department's policy that the UK should retain a veto in EU police and judicial matters.

Joan Ryan: holding answer 11 May 2006
	On 10 May 2006, the European Commission published a Communication entitled "A Citizens' Agenda: Delivering Results for Europe". The Commission indicated that it would present an initiative on the basis of Article 42 of the Treaty on European Union to change decision making arrangements in police and judicial matters.
	Under the current EU treaty framework, co-operation on police and judicial matters is agreed by unanimity. That could only change to qualified majority voting if all Member States, including the UK, agree.
	At present there is no formal proposal. Police and judicial co-operation include sensitive areas of national responsibility and we would have to consider very carefully the potential risks and benefits and the overall impact of such a move.

Vandalism (Cemeteries)

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many incidents of vandalism were recorded in cemeteries in  (a) England,  (b) the North East and  (c) the Tees Valley in each year since 1997.

Tony McNulty: From the information collected centrally on recorded crime it is not possible to identify incidents of vandalism in cemeteries.

YOI Feltham

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on his policy on juvenile restraint training at HM YOI Feltham.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The prison service has developed new restraint techniques for use on juveniles that are currently being piloted at Feltham and Cookham Wood young offender institutions. All staff involved in the pilot have been trained in the new techniques. The techniques have been well received by staff and managers at both establishments and all involved are fully supportive of the pilot.

YOI Feltham

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department to what extent adjudication procedures at HM YOI Feltham are carried out by staff who have not gained accreditation as prison governors; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: There are 19 managers at Feltham who have been trained and are qualified to conduct adjudications. Of these, three are non-operational managers.